Terry Mills fails to convince business groups on Territory Alliance anti-fracking policy

TERRITORY Alliance leader Terry Mills has failed to convince major NT business groups that his party’s move to ban fracking is a good idea.

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TERRITORY Alliance leader Terry Mills has failed to convince major NT business groups that his party’s move to ban fracking is a good idea.

Mr Mills, in an opinion piece in the Sunday Territorian, attempted to explain why he had flip-flopped on fracking after a raucous week following Territory Alliance’s announcement that they would ban fracking in the NT if elected.

NT Major Business group chairman Ian Kew and Chamber of Commerce NT Greg Ireland both said it should be up to the industry to decide if there was a market for onshore gas, not the thoughts of a political party.

NT Major Business group chairman Ian Kew. Picture: Keri Megelus

Territory Alliance’s policy takes a firm stance against hydraulic fracturing but remains supportive of mining, offshore gas and other “conventional” gas extraction methods.

Mr Mills described fracking as a “false hope” and said the Territory taxpayer could not afford more “pipe dreams” as the economics “didn’t stack up”, pointing to the nearly $100 million the NT Labor government has spent subsidising onshore gas in their term.

Mr Kew slammed Mr Mills for not being forthcoming about where he thinks the opportunities are for growth instead and said onshore gas was a big opportunity for the NT that was supported by the Territory and Federal Governments.

Mr Ireland said the industry itself would determine if it believed there was “opportunity and sustainability in that particular market”.

Territory Alliance leader Terry Mills and deputy leader Robyn Lambley. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford

Chief Minister Michael Gunner criticised Mr Mills for looking after himself instead of Territorians.

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said the decision was “reckless” especially as NT goes through “dire economic times”.

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Best-case scenario modelling commission for the NT’s Hydraulic Fracturing Inquiry, better known as the Pepper report, found fracking the Beetaloo Basin could result in $3.72 billion in revenue to the NT Government over a 25-year development period, including 13,611 direct and indirect jobs.

The possibility of this happening was classed “low” in ACIL Allen’s modelling.

The more likely scenario according to the study was $12.2 million in revenue to the NT Government over 25 years.