The Northern Territory will permit fracking in the Beetaloo Basin, unlocking one of the world’s largest untapped gas reserves and drawing immediate condemnation from environmental groups and Indigenous landowners who vow to oppose any development.

The approval by NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles is a boost to Australia’s $91 billion LNG export industry and the security of domestic gas supplies, but it threatens to inflame tensions with Indigenous groups who insist the land is culturally sensitive and must be preserved.