b'Geophysics in the surveysNewsGeological Survey of Victoria: Victorian Government is Backing the ScienceThe Andrews Labor Government announced on 17 March 2020 that it will introduce new legislation to lift the moratorium on onshore conventional gas exploration and production, and to ban fracking for good in Victoria.The decision follows three years of detailed investigation by the Victorian Gas Program, which found an onshore conventional gas industry would not compromise the states environmental and agricultural credentials.The restart of onshore conventional gas exploration and development will begin from 1 July 2021.The investigation - led by Geological Survey of Victoria and overseen by Victorias Lead Scientist Dr Amanda Caples - has identified potentially significant onshore conventional gas resources, particularly in the Otway Basin. Figure 1.Map of the Otway Basin showing areas considered to have some potential for hosting onshore conventional gasVictorian Gas Program Progress Report 4, also released on 17 March 2020, summarises the program findings to date. The scientific studies and supporting data are being published in a series of Technical Reports available from www.earthresources.vic.gov.au/projects/victorian-gas-program.New regional 3D geological framework models have been constructed and petroleum systems modelling has been carried out to inform gas resource estimates and prospectivity assessments in the onshore Otway and Gippsland basins.The Geological Survey of Victoria is currently finalising prospectivity assessments that address the likelihood of particular geographic areas in the Otway and Gippsland basins (within Victorian jurisdiction; Figures 1 and 2) to host yet-to-be discovered conventional gas accumulations.Suzanne Haydon Geological Survey of VictoriaFigure 2.Map of the Gippsland Basin showing areas considered to have some potential for hosting Suzanne.Haydon@ecodev.vic.gov.au onshore conventional gas27 PREVIEW APRIL 2020'