Headed up by highly regarded oil and gas industry executive Ken Fitzpatrick, a former senior executive at Woodside Petroleum and PTTEP, the new Perth-based development is part of the Australian government’s $248 million Industry Growth Centre’s Initiative.

Fitzpatrick said NERA was intended to support the oil, gas, CSG, coal, uranium and related service industries in Australia, with a vision is that by 2025 the sector is a “world leader, growing, sustainable, innovative, globally competitive and productive”

The group will encourage collaboration in the Australian resources sector, with the aim of transforming the sector into a growing, sustainable, innovative, globally competitive and productive part of the economy.

The headquarters for NERA will be co-located with the WA Energy Research Alliance at the Australian Resources Research Centre at Technology Park in Perth, with nodes planned to open in Brisbane and Adelaide later this year.

Fitzpatrick said that the Commonwealth’s establishment of NERA was particularly critical at a time when the energy industry was facing a number of issues.

“Our mission is to improve competitiveness, collaboration and productivity by focusing on reducing costs, directing research to industry needs, improving work skills, facilitating partnerships and reducing regulatory burden.

“We want to enable growth through collaboration, innovation and knowledge sharing. And through a national focus, improve the competitiveness, collaboration and productivity of the Australian energy resources sector.

“The great opportunity that exists is for Australia is to find a way to drive down our project and operating costs, which remain among the highest in the world, and become best in class in operations and maintenance.

“International demand for Australian resources remains strong. Currently this sector is forecast to generate $66 billion worth of export earnings from approximately 1,200 companies, employing 120,000 people directly.

“By leveraging existing networks and initiatives to create opportunities for collaboration, innovation and knowledge-sharing we aim to help improve productivity and competitiveness for the sector as a whole.”

Former APPEA executive Miranda Taylor has been appointed NERA’s CEO.

A board has been assembled comprising former Woodside executives Keith Spence and Erica Smyth, University of Queensland CSG export Dr Andrew Garnett, QGC managing director Tony Nunan and innovation broker Pia Turcinov.

APPEA CEO Dr Malcolm Roberts welcomed the creation of NERA, particularly with its focus on innovation, collaboration and productivity in order to reduce costs and improve Australia’s global competitiveness.

“This is absolutely essential if Australia is to maximise the benefits of the current wave of new LNG projects and position itself as a low-cost destination for future investment,” Roberts said.