Alice Springs protesters denounce fracking outside Chief Minister Michael Gunner’s event
PROTESTERS have rocked up to an Alice Springs event hosted by Chief Minister Michael Gunner to denounce the Territory Government’s position on fracking
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PROTESTERS have rocked up to an Alice Springs event hosted by Chief Minister Michael Gunner to denounce the Territory Government’s position on fracking.
Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Royal Flying Doctor Service Alice Springs Tourist Facility where Michael Gunner held an event to thank members of the community who responded to the COVID-19 crisis.
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Central Australian Frack Free Alliance member Dianna Newham said she wanted to send a message that fracking is not supported by most Territorians.
“We heard that the Chief Minister was going to be in town and we requested a meeting with him but his schedule was too full,” she said.
“So we just wanted to get together and let him know that we are not happy with Labor’s position on fracking in the lead up to the election.”
In a poll conducted by environmental advocacy group Protect Country Alliance, 84 per cent of residents polled in Alice Springs said they did not support fracking.
Fracking involves drilling into the ground to extract gas and several sites in the NT
have been explored raising environmental concerns, particularly around water pollution.
Protester Heather McIntyre said she was worried about environmental impacts and thinks the economic benefits were being over exaggerated.
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“It’s an issue of water security, environmental impacts and degradation of landscapes. It’s not economical and that’s been proven,” she said.
“The economics don’t stack up and we think renewable energy is appropriate given that we have 365 days of sun in Central Australia and the rest of the Territory.”
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