NT government warned of further action to challenge fracking green light
Gas and thousands of jobs could flow from the latest NT government approval of fracking but the decision is spurring green groups and other organisations into action.
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Green groups across the NT have vowed to continue their fracking fight after the decision by the NT government to greenlight an onshore gas industry.
And they didn’t take long to honour the threat, with Chief Minister Natasha Fyles’ Nightcliff electorate office targeted on Thursday.
A numerals 9 and 8 were sprayed onto an electorate office window - a reference to recommendation 9.8 of the Pepper Inquiry into fracking that specifically addressed greenhouse gas emissions.
Protesters have a number of grievances with fracking, including claiming the NT government misled Territorians on whether Traditional Owners have veto rights on fracking, greenhouse gas emissions and the implementation of water management plans.
The NT government yesterday released its implementation plan around recommendations from the 2018 Pepper Inquiry for a safe, sustainable NT on-shore gas industry.
Another small gathering of concerned groups including TOs, parents, rural residents and environmentalists told media the government’s decision to green-light fracking was a “betrayal”.
Naish Gawen, mining and gas strategist with Environment Centre NT, said polling showed “fracking is wildly unpopular” in the Northern Territory.
“This is something the community has been saying all along,” Mr Gawen said.
“The Pepper Inquiry attempted to establish a social license for this industry and it hasn’t been achieved.
“Fracking does not have a social license in the NT and it will continue to be opposed at every step of the way.”
He vowed anti-frackers would continue to protest the decision.
“Whatever actions Territorians choose to take to oppose fracking shouldn’t be a surprise to the NT government because they know this industry is unpopular,” he said.
Empire Energy, one of the two lead companies in the Beetaloo development, welcomed the decision.
Dr Sam Phelan, Katherine region co-ordinator of Protect Big Rivers, said greenhouse gas emissions, Traditional Owner veto rights and water management had not been fully implemented.
“Territorians’ only hope now is for the Federal Government to step up where the Fyles Government has failed,” Dr Phelan said.
The government is hell bent on sacrificing communities and the water we rely on to the fracking industry.”
Australian Pipelines and Gas Association chief executive officer Steve Davies said would bring much-needed supply to domestic gas markets.
“The decision … follows the news of further delays to Snowy Hydro 2.0,” he said.
“This development demonstrates the key role gas-fired generators will play to ensure the stability of the National Energy Market as coal power plants exit,”
Lock the Gate Alliance, which is opposed to fracking, said a letter sent by Dr Ritchie to the government showed not all 135 recommendations of the Pepper Inquiry had been implemented.
The NT has a history of environmental activism including protesters forcing uranium miner North Limited to abandon plans to develop a resource at Jabiluka near Kakadu in the late 1990s.
The government’s decision has won overwhelming industry support.
Empire Energy chief executive Alex Underwood welcomed the “historic” announcement.
“Empire is committed to meeting the highest operational and environmental standards and collaborating with government, traditional owners, other landholders and the broader community to ensure the benefits of the development of the Beetaloo’s natural resources will be shared across the Northern Territory and in other areas that support that development,” he said.
Tamboran Resources, the other main player in the Beetaloo, is holding a media event in Darwin on Friday morning and is expected to comment then.
The Australian Pipeline and Gas Association also welcomed the decision.
Chief executive Paul Purcell said Beetaloo gas would provide much-needed supply to the domestic market, unlock economic opportunities and support higher levels of renewable electricity.
“The decision announced by Chief Minister Natasha Fyles to greenlight projects in the Beetaloo Basin on Wednesday follows the news of further delays to Snowy Hydro 2.0,” Mr Davies said.
“This development demonstrates the key role gas-fired generators will play to ensure the stability of the National Electricity Market as coal power plants exit and unexpected delays and issues occur.
“Australians across the country are struggling with their gas and electricity bills, which have been in part driven by a shortage of gas supply,” Mr Davies said.
“If we want to make the most of our strategic advantages and build things here in Australia, we need affordable and reliable gas to do so.”
Gas and jobs to flow after NT fracking green light
Billions of dollars in potential revenue and thousands of jobs could flow from the NT government’s decision to green light fracking in the Northern Territory.
Chief Minister Natasha Fyles and deputy chief Nicole Manison on Wednesday morning cleared the way for gas companies to seek production licenses in the Beetaloo Basin with the release of the Hydraulic Fracturing Implementation report.
The Final Implementation Report into the Scientific Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracturing comes more than five years after Justice Rachel Pepper released her study into the potential sustainability of fracking in the Northern Territory in April 2018.
Despite criticism to the contrary, the report concludes all 135 recommendations from the inquiry have been implemented.
Implementation of the Pepper Inquiry’s 135 recommendations was overseen by former chief executive of the Department of Lands and Planning Dr David Ritchie.
If an onshore gas industry develops in the NT, the economic benefits to the Territory could potentially be substantial.
Under modelling conducted by ACIL Allen, in the event of a production roll-out of 1000 terajoules per day, the project could create up to 13,611 full-time equivalent jobs above existing employment growth.
It forecast a potential annual contribution to the Territory’s gross state product up to $674.4m a year based on the same production scenario.
While this might be at the higher end of the Beetaloo’s production capacity, the government said the project was part of its larger plan to diversify the NT economy and create sustainable jobs and economic growth.
Ms Fyles said the government was determined to develop a safe, sustainable on-shore gas industry.
“The report sets out significantly stronger environmental, cultural, social, economic and health protections in place than existed before the inquiry was held,” she said.
“The new industry standards set the bar higher with clear expectations and transparency for industry compliance.”
Ms Manison said royalties from Beetaloo would be paid to the Territory government and help develop infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, roads and housing as well as help deliver social services.
“There will be further economic flow-on benefits such as more jobs, more businesses and more development in our remote regions of the Northern Territory. Territorians do stand to benefit from a safely developed onshore gas industry, which is exactly what we’re doing.”
The NT government has set a 2050 net zero climate target as well as a large emitters policy which requires onshore gas projects to be underpinned by a greenhouse gas abatement plan.
The NT government said it had fulfilled its commitment under recommendation 9.8 of the Pepper Inquiry around zero emissions, although so-called scope three emissions from NT gas being used outside of the Territory would not be counted.
Ms Manison said if Traditional Owners did not want fracking “it will not happen”.
Other regulatory measures the government believes will keep a potential fracking industry safe include environmental management plans, water allocation plans as well as a $15m baseline environmental study around the Beetaloo.
In response to a full-page advertisement in the NT News on Wednesday from dozens of prominent Australians calling for fracking to be banned in the NT, Ms Manison called on them to be “more practical and level-headed”.
“We want to see this country being completely powered by renewable energy, clean green renewable energy, but that is not going to happen overnight,” she said.
“I would ask them, would they prefer to see baseload power being produced from a coal-fired power station or a gas-fired power station?”
APPEA, the peak body representing the oil and gas industry, welcomed the decision.
APPEA NT director David Slama said the decision would begin “a new wave” of prosperity for the NT and Australia.
“The NT has backed the Beetaloo and it’s great news for the businesses and people of Darwin and regional communities like Katherine and Tennant Creek to benefit from new investment and jobs,” Ms Slama said.
“The NTG decision follows the facts and science to get the best outcome for the NT while recognising the important role of gas in a cleaner energy future – backing up renewables, kickstarting low-carbon hydrogen and supporting major industries like manufacturing.”
The government didn’t have to wait long for protests against the decision with a small rally outside Parliament House during the announcement.
Australian Parents for Climate Action spokeswoman Anna Weekes was “appalled” at the decision.
“Of course there’s going to be a huge amount of emissions from that Beetaloo expansion,” Ms Weekes said.
“They’re just lying to the NT public again and we know the NT public don’t want fracking, they’ve said it for years. I’m not sure who they're representing.”
The NT Environment Centre was blistering in its criticism with executive director Kirsty Howey calling it “a profoundly sad day for the Northern Territory”.
“As we look down the barrel of un-liveability here in the Northern Territory due to climate change, the Chief Minister has today given the green light for a carbon bomb that will hurtle us towards climate collapse,” Ms Howey said.
“The Chief Minister’s decision to allow fracking to go ahead in the NT flies in the face of the science, logic and the wishes of the Northern Territory community.”
Ms Howey said the Pepper Inquiry recommendations had not been fully implemented.
“This represents unacceptable capitulation to the gas industry, which is chomping at the bit to industrialise our landscapes on a vast scale, extract our precious groundwater and release hundreds of millions of tonnes of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere,” she said.
Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said the CLP had always supported the Beetaloo project.
“Territory Labor have no credibility when it comes to managing our economy,” she said.
“The Northern Territory is the only State or Territory economy going backwards. The CLP have always supported a well regulated and safe onshore gas industry.
“Labor have dragged their feet for the last five years we hope it’s not too little too late.”
Nurrdalinji Aboriginal Corporation Traditional Owner Johnny Wilson, who lives in Lightning Ridge about 20km from a fracking site, disputed the assertion TOs could veto gas production.
“Justice Pepper made it clear in her report that this is not true,” Mr Wilson said.
“There is no veto right at production stage under native title or land rights laws.
“When our old people said yes many years ago, they had no idea of the many thousands of wells we are looking at now.
“Fracking companies are still not listening to the wishes of Traditional Owners who do not want thousands of flaring wells that will destroy our country.”
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