Beetaloo fracking to continue despite Environment Centre court case

Fracking in the Beetaloo will continue despite legal proceedings being launched against the Federal Government.

FRACKING in the Beetaloo will continue despite legal proceedings being launched against the Federal Government.

Resources and Water Minister Keith Pitt on Tuesday notified the Environment Centre of the Northern Territory that he intended to continue to operate the Beetaloo Cooperative Drilling Program.

Mr Pitt said the Beetaloo Cooperative Drilling Program was a key measure under the Beetaloo Strategic Basin Plan and was crucial to the Government’s Gas Fired Recovery agenda.

Mr Pitt said he had requested his department “proceed with the grant to Imperial Oil and Gas” that he announced on July 7.

The grant was worth $21m and was intended to support three new exploration wells to “to help accelerate development of gas projects in the Northern Territory”. Imperial Oil and Gas is a wholly owned subsidiary of the publicly listed Empire Energy.

“It is important that we continue to get on with the job,” Mr Pitt said.

“This project, along with other activity in the Beetaloo Basin, has the potential to create over 6000 jobs and make a significant contribution to secure Australia’s affordable and reliable energy supplies.

“I have also instructed my department to continue with the assessment of other applications to the Beetaloo Cooperative Drilling Program.”

The Environment Centre of the Northern Territory (ECNT) lodged an application to the Federal Court on July 28, 2021 to have the drilling program and associated grant decisions set aside.

At the time, the ECNT co-director Kirsty Howey said: “We want to see taxpayers money used wisely and with all the consequences being fully considered”.

“Granting $21m to a private fossil fuel company should only be done after all care is taken to examine the impacts on climate change, the environment and the community,” she said.

“The law requires the Minister to be satisfied that the expenditure is a proper use of money having made reasonable inquiries.

“We say that means inquiries into the risks of a heating climate if the heart of the Northern Territory was opened up to fracking.”

The Court documents argue that Mr Pitt didn’t make reasonable inquiries about climate change risks, transition risks to a zero carbon economy, and risks associated with failing to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement.

“It’s not apparent from the available public documents that the Minister made any inquiries about the climate change risks of gas developments in the Beetaloo,” said Ms Howey.

The matter is currently progressing through Federal Court processes.