Change, opportunity and grief: Understanding the complex social-ecological impacts of Liquefied Natural Gas development in the Australian coastal zone

Abstract

Recent rapid growth in the natural gas industry has led to concerns about the potential impacts of development on local communities, and the capacity of current governance arrangements to manage those impacts. Although a growing body of research explores the impacts of ‘boomtown’ mining and energy development in inland communities, comparatively little work has examined the impacts of natural gas development on communities in the coastal zone. Coastal communities are part of complex social-ecological systems that are increasingly a focal point for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) development. Drawing on in-depth interviews and grey literature, this paper examines the direct, indirect and cumulative social-ecological impacts of LNG development in a coastal community in Australia, an emerging hub for the global gas industry. The research finds that the impacts of coastal LNG development share similarities with conventional mining, but also present new challenges for the governance of the industry.