Arid Lands and Environment Centre reacts to NTG merit review plan

The NT Government has been accused by the Arid Lands and Environment Centre of wanting to bulldoze the community’s ability to have a say on issues that directly affect it.

The NT Government has been accused by the Arid Lands and Environment Centre of wanting to bulldoze the community’s ability to have a say on issues that directly affect it.

Frack free campaigner Hannah Ekin said community objection rights desperately needed to remain in place in the Northern Territory.

Ms Ekin was responding to reports third party merit reviews were about to be put to the blow torch by NT Lands, Planning and Environment Minister Josh Burgoyne.

Mr Burgoyne said the issue was the weaponisation of the third party merit reviews to delay major Territory projects that have already been the subject of extensive environmental reviews.

However Ms Ekin said community objection rights were one of the last lines of defence against big business steamrolling the rights of ordinary Territorians.

“The CLP Finocchiaro Government is approving projects that make a very small group of already very wealthy people even wealthier, while harming the rest of us,” she said.

“Fracking projects threaten land, water, our health, and our climate.

“Fracking exacerbates climate changes which poses an existential threat to the livability of the NT.

“It’s vital that the community is able to legally scrutinise the merits of decisions that effectively give fracking companies a blank cheque to cause harm.

“We need more transparency and oversight in the NT, particularly when it comes to controversial developments like fracking, not less.

“Removing merit review appeal rights for ordinary Territorians will lead to an increased risk of corruption and reduced accountability.”

Ms Ekins said suggestions companies couldn’t continue their work between when a merits review was lodged and when a conclusion was reached was not the case.

“Work can continue while a third party merits review is undertaken,” she said.

“Although the Singleton Station water license did undergo merits review, the big case has been a judicial review through the Supreme Court which is a completely separate process to what Minister Josh Burgoyne is proposing to ‘put the blow torch to’.”

Originally published as Arid Lands and Environment Centre reacts to NTG merit review plan