The Northern Territory government’s approval of gas company Tamboran’s Environment Management Plan for fracking in the Beetaloo Basin has sparked widespread concern and outrage.
This decision has drawn sharp criticism from doctors, First Nations people, environmentalists, and community groups, who are now urging Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to scrutinize the plan under the water trigger in national environment laws.
Fracking, known for its severe environmental impact, has been linked to the death of native animals, land contamination, and water pollution. Growing international evidence suggests fracking can also harm the health of nearby residents, including pregnant women and their unborn children.
As the NT Government moves forward with Tamboran’s controversial project, the calls for federal intervention grow louder, highlighting the critical need for thorough environmental assessments and a shift towards sustainable energy practices.
First Nations people say “there is no consent to frack”
GetUp Chief Campaigns Officer and Gooreng Gooreng woman Amy Gordon stressed the opposition from Traditional Owners: “Traditional Owners have been saying no to fracking for over a decade, there is no consent to frack. This is an insult to Traditional Owners across the entire Northern Territory. Tamboran has relentlessly shown that they cannot be trusted to protect water. Water is life for remote First Nations communities. Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek must exercise her new national water trigger powers to protect water from fracking.”
Traditional Owners from the Beetaloo Basin have continuously raised concerns about the severe cultural, environmental, and health threats posed by fracking. The International Energy Agency has stated that no new fossil fuel projects should be built anywhere in the world to maintain a safe climate for humanity.
Doctors disapprove of fracking
Kirsty Howey, Executive Director of the Environment Centre NT, condemned the decision as “a disgraceful and risky deal that amounts to the NT Government propping up the business case for a carbon bomb that will set the Northern Territory on a path towards climate collapse.” She criticized the NT government’s reliance on gas and urged investment in renewable energy and storage instead.
The Climate and Health Alliance (CAHA) has also condemned the NT Government’s decision. CAHA CEO Michelle Isles warned of the significant water contamination risks and health impacts posed by fracking, urging Minister Plibersek to use the expanded water trigger provisions to halt the project. “The contamination risk to ground and surface water in the NT will affect communities across the region, and the methane impact from this project will accelerate climate change globally, exacerbating existing health and wellbeing challenges in Australia,” she said.
Northern Territory Paediatrician Dr. Louise Woodward highlighted the health risks, stating, “The scientific research is clear, fracking is dangerous to human health, harms the environment, and drives climate change. Many countries around the world have banned fracking on health grounds. As doctors, we urge the NT Government to prioritize the health and well-being of Territorians and put an end to this dangerous industry.”
Phil Scott, a member of Parents for Climate Darwin, echoed these concerns, emphasizing the need for federal intervention: “Territorians know the gas industry has enormous influence over the Lawler Government, so sadly this approval is no surprise. That’s why it’s so important that this project be subject to the full scrutiny of the water trigger under Federal environment laws. We’re calling for the Federal Minister, Tanya Plibersek, to step up urgently and either require the company refer it or call it in herself for full assessment under the water trigger.”
Locals say “No to fracking the Northern Territory”
Pete Callender of Frack Free NT highlighted the strong local opposition: “Territorians are outraged that the NT Lawler Government has approved Tamboran’s dangerous and highly polluting fracking project. Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek told Territorians that new fracking projects would undergo federal assessment for their impacts on water. That hasn’t happened. We need Minister Plibersek to step in before it’s too late.”
Hannah Ekin, Central Australian Frack Free Alliance coordinator, called the approval a betrayal by the NT government, stating, “Fracking is deeply unpopular in the NT and we are sick of NT Labor backing their donors in the gas industry over their constituents and even the rank and file of their own party.”
Climate Council Head of Advocacy Dr. Jennifer Rayner underscored the environmental urgency: “This decision from the Northern Territory Government is an environmental travesty that screams for urgent national reform. It underscores the urgent need for a national environment law that can halt new climate-wrecking projects and their devastating impact on our climate and cultural heritage. Our current national environment law is not fit for purpose.”
Gavan McFadzean, Australian Conservation Foundation climate program manager, added, “Granting Texan gas company Tamboran the right to drill gas wells in the Northern Territory goes against Australia’s national interest. Tamboran gas will make climate disasters worse, it’s for export so will do nothing for energy security at home, it has devastating impacts on the NT environment and is opposed by Traditional Owners.”
Tamboran’s proposed Shenandoah Exploration and Appraisal project involves drilling and fracking 15 horizontal gas wells, which may reach depths of up to 4,300 meters and lengths exceeding 1,000 meters, based on recent activity in nearby areas.
The project plans to use up to 1,117 megaliters (ML) of water for fracking and drilling, including the extraction of 375 ML per year from the Gum Ridge Formation of the Cambrian Limestone Aquifer, through up to 24 new groundwater bores. Tamboran’s plan indicates the use of approximately 606,000 liters of chemicals and 2,351 tonnes of sand per well.
Lock the Gate’s analysis suggests the project could release up to 1.1 million tonnes of direct greenhouse gas pollution over four years, while Tamboran’s lower estimates depend on uncertain plans to sell gas directly from the site, claiming a lower carbon footprint.
The company also proposes storing up to 34 million liters of wastewater in large open storage ponds on-site during the wet season, despite recommendations from the Fracking Inquiry that such wastewater should be stored in enclosed tanks to minimize contamination risks.
The project is planned upstream of Lake Woods, the largest freshwater lake in the Northern Territory and a site of significant cultural importance to Traditional Owners. It would also clear 145 hectares of habitat that likely supports threatened and declining species, including the Gouldian Finch and Spectacled Hare-wallaby.
In the past year, Tamboran Resources faced fines for using 300,000 liters of untreated wastewater to suppress dust at its Maverick 1 site in 2022, just before significant rainfall.
Whistleblower contractors revealed they were instructed to spray drill rig water despite the company knowing it was contaminated. Additionally, a bund wall broke during flooding that same year, spilling sediment and potentially toxic chemicals towards Newcastle Creek. Investigations were also launched into the apparent pumping of contaminated water into a cattle breeding paddock.
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