Reservation alone won't solve Australia's gas problem

The article argues that a reservation-only policy will not by itself resolve Australia’s gas shortage, calling the proposal protectionist intervention in a free market while warning that failing to address expected shortfalls carries higher risks. It says the east coast gas market faces a structural squeeze despite Australia being among the world’s largest gas producers and exporters. The pressure is attributed to state government policies that have constrained the region’s ability to secure local supply. The piece links the shortfall to years of difficulty for producers in southeast Australia to develop new projects, citing Labor’s intervention on gas prices and government moratoriums—later lifted—on gas development and exploration in Victoria and New South Wales.