Fracking company rejects pastoralist’s ‘reprieve’ claim, labelling injunction ‘misconceived’

The fracking company at the centre of a standoff with cattle station owners over exploration activities on their lease has rejected claims the pastoralists had ‘obtained a reprieve’.

UPDATED 4PM: THE fracking company at the centre of a standoff with cattle station owners over exploration activities on their lease has rejected claims the pastoralists had “obtained a reprieve”.

Chief executive of Sweetpea Petroleum’s owner Tamboran Resources, Joel Riddle, said contrary to claims by Rallen Australia, “planned and approved” exploration works had not stopped.

Mr Riddle said a “misconceived” interim injunction sought by Rallen had in fact been lifted by the Supreme Court on Thursday, as conceded by the pastoral giant.

“The injunction brought by Rallen Australia was misconceived as Tamboran is yet to issue a formal notice to Rallen regarding the construction of a western access track, nor did Tamboran have any present intention to undertake works on that track,” he said.

Mr Riddle said Rallen’s public statements “continue(d) to mislead the Australian public” about Sweetpea’s operations.

“This shows the lengths the foreign owned pastoral leaseholder is undertaking to deny jobs and royalties to Territorians and affordable gas to Australian households and businesses at a time when cost of living pressures are impacting the economy,” he said.

“Pastoral leaseholders and exploration companies have a long history of working alongside each other across Australia and we remain committed to conducting our activities in accordance with the approved work program.”

EARLIER: A TERRITORY cattle station has won a last minute reprieve from fracking operations being conducted on its land, with gas company Sweetpea Petroleum agreeing to halt the works.

Tanumbirini station owner Rallen Australia will seek a stay on the works next month, with Sweetpea confirming it does not intend to commence the fracking works before then.

The stay application comes after Rallen appealed an NT Civil and Administrative Tribunal decision paving the way for the exploratory operation’s go ahead without its permission.

The station owners feared the vehicles and heavy machinery used to repurpose a seismic line into an 18m wide access track would result in its Brahman cattle stressed and in danger of imminent harm.

They say there are an estimated 60 bulls and 1500 breeder cows in the paddock, with 65 per cent of the cows having a young calf or weaner at foot.

Rallen director Luciana Ravazzotti said the company was relieved at the “temporary reprieve from the most concerning activities”.

“Station managers are concerned vehicle movements could cause calves to separate from their mothers and not subsequently ‘mother up’, causing orphaned young calves to die,” she said.

“The rubble of the trees left across cattle pads and edges of the road could cause injury to cattle during musters as they are driven towards gathering points.

“Construction will also put cattle at risk of vehicle injury as they wander across the road, with trucks and road trains unable to suddenly stop.

“The cattle industry in the Territory is the backbone of the economy. If this is what we are seeing at the exploration stage, we can’t imagine how bad things might get as companies head towards full production.”

Fracking operations on Tanumbirini station.

On Tuesday, Nurrdalinji Native Title Aboriginal Corporation also expressed concerns the fracking operations had crossed the culturally significant Newcastle Creek.

The Traditional Owners say the crossing came after they wrote to the company, the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority and the Northern Land Council expressing concern that Sweetpea’s work would traverse a significant songline.

Nurrdalinji chairman Johnny Wilson said the ongoing work showed “no respect for my people, my culture or my country”.

“My heart is broken,” he said.

“We ask Sweetpea to stop further work so we can meet and discuss the consequences of what has happened, together with custodians, the AAPA and the NLC.

“What we see today should never happen again as fracking operations expand across the Beetaloo Basin.”

A spokesman for Sweetpea owner Tamboran Resources said the company “reserves its position on costs and damages and will take appropriate recourse”.

“Rallen has conceded that the interim injunction be lifted with immediate effect,” he said.

“We remain committed to the development of the Beetaloo Basin, which is projected to deliver thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in royalties to the benefit of all Territorians, and look forward to working with all stakeholders, including traditional owners recognised by the NLC.”

The case returns to the Supreme Court on July 15 when an application to require Sweetpea to stop all work until the appeal judgment is handed down will be heard.