Greens draw battlelines over Middle Arm project
Green groups are sceptical of government assurances on environmental protections at Middle Arm. Read why they’re worried and vote in our poll.
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The battle for Middle Arm has a longway to play out, with supporters of the project and green opponents both declaring they’re in for the long haul.
The NT and Commonwealth governments want to develop Middle Arm on Darwin Harbour into a sustainable industrial precinct, but environmentalists say this is an oxymoron.
Five proponents signed 12-month ‘not to deal’ provisions in June to give them breathing space to proof their projects for Middle Arm’s first stage.
The five are TEH2-Total Eren (green hydrogen), Fortescue Future Industries (green hydrogen), Tivan (vanadium oxides), Tamboran Resources Limited (liquefied natural gas) and Avenira (lithium-ferro-phosphate).
The government believes, if developed in line with current plans, billions in investment dollars will be pumped into the site, creating up to 20,000 new NT Territory jobs.
Fracking was a common thread linking the 2016 and 2020 Northern Territory elections, with opponents of unconventional gas extraction failing to win a single seat after votes were counted.
Despite this, opponents of industrial development falsely maintain the majority of Territorians are opposed to the process and to development of onshore gas fields at the Beetaloo Basin.
Similarly, environment groups claim there is widespread opposition to development at Middle Arm despite a lack of meaningful polling to substantiate the claim.
Environment Centre NT has echoed the call contained in a Senate Committee report last year for a full-scale inquiry into the Middle Arm project.
Describing Middle Arm as the “brainchild of the pro-gas Morrison government and oil and gas lobbyists”, ECNT executive director Kirsty Howey also lashed the Commonwealth government’s $1.5bn equity contribution to the project.
“Middle Arm, if it goes ahead, will use fracked Beetaloo gas as a feedstock for new gas development and petrochemicals factories and will be toxic to Territorians’ health, harbour and climate,” Ms Howey said.
“It is nothing short of a fossil fuel subsidy, shoring up the business case for opening up the carbon bomb of the Beetaloo Basin and offshore gas fields like the Barossa.
“This inquiry is desperately needed due to the murky history behind the development of Middle Arm, the characters and companies who are behind it, and how taxpayer funds have been committed with no environmental impact statement and no cost benefit analysis.
“We look forward to working with the Senate, and with people across the NT, to ensure that the Middle Arm project is subjected to the highest possible scrutiny.”
Infrastructure Commissioner and acting chief executive of the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics, Louise McCormick, said delivering a sustainable economic framework was crucial to achieving sustainable development at the site.
She said Middle Arm would consider “circular economy principles” to ensure the way products were produced, sold and used minimised waste and reduced impact on the environment.
A sustainable outcomes framework will drive sustainable outcomes from the planning phase through to construction and operation.
In addition, the department has partnered with the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia to seek an infrastructure sustainability rating.
The ISC has developed the infrastructure rating scheme to facilitate rating infrastructure projects and assets.
She said the master planned precinct is targeting industries with an industrial ecological approach including minerals processing, low emissions gas manufacturing and hydrogen production.
“The beauty of a masterplanned precinct is that we can incorporate a circular economy approach right from the start,” Ms McCormick said.
“This means waste products from one proponent may become the feedstock for another proponent.
“This is not only environmentally smart, but economically smart.
“As new low-emissions sectors bring new jobs, there will be opportunities to transition highly skilled traditional energy workforces towards new clean energy sectors.”
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