On 23 June 2021, the Senate referred an inquiry into oil and gas exploration and production in the Beetaloo Basin to the Senate Environment and Communications References Committee for interim report by 3 August 2021 and final report by the first sitting Tuesday of March 2022, with the following term of reference:     

Oil and gas exploration and production in the Beetaloo Basin, with particular reference to the Industry Research and Development (Beetaloo Cooperative Drilling Program) Instrument 2021, which provides public money for oil and gas corporations.

The closing date for submissions is 7 July. 

The Industry Research and Development (Beetaloo Cooperative Drilling Program) Instrument 2021 can be found here.

The Instrument prescribes the Beetaloo Cooperative Drilling Program for the purposes of subsection 33(1) of the Industry Research and Development Act 1986. The Act can be found here.

On 3 August 2021, the committee was granted an extension of time for the interim report until 24 August 2021.

On 8 February 2022, the committee was granted an extension of time for the final report until 21 April 2022.

On 21 April 2022, the committee was granted an extension of time for the final report until 28 April 2022. 

On 28 April 2022, the committee presented a progress report recommending that the Senate grant an extension of time to report until 2 August 2022