Gunner names Dr David Ritchie as his fracking regulator

THE Gunner Government has appointed a senior Territory bureaucrat as the independent officer to oversee the implementation of the recommendations stemming from the Pepper Inquiry

Dr David Ritchie in Alice Springs last year. Photo: EMMA MURRAY

THE Gunner Government has appointed a senior Territory bureaucrat as the independent officer to oversee the implementation of the recommendations stemming from the Pepper Inquiry.

The current chair of the NT Planning Commission Dr David Ritchie was the only Territorian to be part of the 10 person scientific inquiry into hydraulic fracturing chaired by Justice Rachel Pepper.

In announcing the government’s decision to allow the development of an onshore gas industry, and that it would be accepting all 135 recommendations of the inquiry, Chief Minister Michael Gunner announced an independent officer would oversee their implementation. He said he wanted the independent officer to come from the panel.

“The key to this (fracking) decision is for the government to implement all the recommendations of this report and we want Territorians to have confidence that we are implementing all those recommendations,” he said.

“Dr Ritchie has been appointed to hold us to account to implement all those recommendations. He has experience across the Territory and is an exceptional appointment.”

Mr Gunner did not say how Dr Ritchie would hold the government to account should all the recommendations fail to be implemented.

“We will be working through the implementation ... he will have access to all the travel and support he needs and we will be working with him on what resources he needs,” Mr Gunner said.

The Chief Minister said the Labor Caucus was “holding up” given the negative reaction to the decision to lift the ban.

“I’ve been speaking to all my members of Caucus throughout all of this,” Mr Gunner said. “This is an issue some Territorians are very passionate about and the Caucus understands that.”

Opposition Leader Gary Higgins described the reaction by some as an “over-reaction”.

Mr Higgins said he doubted the government would be able to meet its implementation timetable and there will be job losses as a consequence.

“We’ve lost another 3000 jobs on top of the 5000 last month,” he said. “This loss of jobs is causing a lot of heartache. The solution is for the fracking industry to get a move on. I do have some doubts they will be able to implement their plan. I think the community has had a very large over-reaction. This decision is the first that has to be made.

“The key decisions are going to be around the implementation of the regulations and how restrictive they could be on industry.

“Some of the ones in principle relate to water and how the water is going to be traded and an other is around how much is going to be put into the regional fund.”

Dr Ritchie has more than 20 years experience as a chief executive officer including heading the Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts, and the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority. His areas of specialty include cultural history and engagement, natural resource management, public policy, governance, and community engagement.