Terry Mills says he believes fracking could be done safely in the NT, despite Territory Alliance fracking ban

TERRITORY Alliance Party leader Terry Mills said he still believes that hydraulic fracturing could be done safely in the NT.

Territory Alliance Party leader Terry Mills said he still believes that hydraulic fracturing could be done safely in the NT. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford

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TERRITORY Alliance Party leader Terry Mills said he still believes that hydraulic fracturing could be done safely in the NT.

However, he says his concern is whether it would be done safely, pointing the finger of doubt at the Gunner Government and the onshore gas industry.

Mr Mills comments are contained in a letter of response to the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration (APPEA) NT director Keld Knudsen.

Mr Knudsen questioned Mr Mills’ apparent backflip on the Territory Alliance Party’s website referring to onshore gas: “We can and must leverage the income from onshore gas extraction by retaining an amount of gas for local NT use, to develop local NT “downstream” secondary industries such as fertilisers, plastics, high strength carbon fibre, diesel fuel, jet fuel, feedstocks, asphalt and hydrogen fuel production.”

Mr Mills told Mr Knudsen “the community has lost confidence in the Gunner Government’s ability to manage fracking and the industry’s willingness to be managed.

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“Part of this loss of confidence stems from the tendency of Mr Gunner and industry representatives to present misleading information about the industry’s risks and benefits,” he wrote.

“You claim that hydraulic fracturing has occurred safely for more than 50 years in the Territory. While what occurred historically may qualify as hydraulic fracturing, the techniques used and the scale of operations are altogether different.

“I have said in the past and still believe that hydraulic fracturing could be done safely. The concern of Territorians is whether it would be done safely.”

The Fracking Inquiry noted widespread “distrust in the Government to make decisions in the best interests of the community and antipathy towards the current regulatory framework”.

Mr Mills said he shares this distrust of the Gunner Government and its ability to regulate unconventional gas.

“Even conventional oil and gas drilling, which clearly can be done safely, does not always get done safely,” he said.

Mr Mills maintained an onshore gas industry is a significant risk to water resources and other industries.

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Chief Minister Michael Gunner said Mr Mills’ desire for honest conversation was absent when as CLP Chief Minister he increased NT power prices by 30 per cent.