Natural gas is supplied into a very competitive energy market. Gas is a fuel of choice - for example, household customers make a conscious decision to use gas in favour of competitors such as electricity. The increasing use of natural gas is bringing important and far-reaching benefits for Australia's environment and economy. Natural gas began continuous supply in Australia in 1969, when Victoria began to connect homes to the Gippsland Basin in the Bass Strait and Queensland connected to the Surat Basin, and currently supplies 18.1 percent of Australia's primary energy needs. Protecting the environment is important to all Australians.
Environmental management is an integral part of the gas industry's philosophy and operations.
One of the major reasons why gas use is growing so quickly in Australia and the rest of the world, is that natural gas is the cleanest burning of all the organic fuels. Internationally, gas has become the 'bridge' fuel between traditional energy forms and a sustainable energy future. With natural gas having the lowest carbon dioxide emissions of any fossil fuel, its use produces lower greenhouse gas emissions. Cleanly burnt gas leads to negligible emissions of particulate matter and reduces visual pollution in cities when used as vehicle fuel. The significant role natural gas can play in improving Australia's greenhouse and environmental performance has been recognised by the Commonwealth Government in its energy and greenhouse policies.