On 8 July 2019, the Western Australian State Government (State Government) announced that it had released a new Implementation Plan (Plan).

The 18-month transitional Plan is the State Government's response to the Final Report of the Independent Scientific Panel Inquiry into hydraulic fracture stimulation in Western Australia handed down on 12 September 2018 (the Report) and the Western Australian State Government Policy on fracking released on 27 November 2018 (which are both outlined in our recent article, Western Australia's updated fracking policy). Following careful consideration of the Report, the State Government accepted in principle the recommendations set out in the Report and announced a raft of new controls for all hydraulic fracture stimulation exploration and production proposals and activities within Western Australia. The recommendations and State Government decisions have been consolidated into 20 key implementation actions outlined in the Plan. The Plan also outlines the methodology and a timeline regarding the process of implementing the actions.