The future of the oil and gas industry has been thrown into disarray after a series of submissions were passed without dissent at an NT Labor Conference attended by federal and territory government ministers.
Key points:
- Block of anti-fracking motions passed unanimously at 2022 NT Labor Conference
- Motion calls on government to end ‘huge amounts of public money’ committed to Beetaloo
- Grassroots Labor Party members say the parliamentary wing of Labor is ignoring the “democratically stated wishes of the party”.
Labor delegates from across the Northern Territory met at the weekend for the first time since 2019 for the 2022 Territory Labor conference, held at Charles Darwin University.
The passing of the motions, which called for an end to hydraulic fracturing in the NT, greater ambition on climate change and emissions reduction, and a commitment to implement the Pepper Inquiry’s set of recommendations, has set a schism between the bases. labor party and the territory and federal politicians.
NT Labor Environment Action Network chief executive Rowan Hayward said the motions were passed unanimously.
The gas-rich Beetaloo Basin, which is now home to several exploration permits, is a key part of the federal government’s post-Covid “gas-driven recovery.”
Millions of dollars in subsidies have been poured into the industry in a bid to speed up gas production.
“There is a real disconnect between the grassroots of the Labor Party and Labor politicians,” Hayward said.
“It is very significant that this is the third consecutive conference that the [delegates] they’ve been trying to stop fracking in the NT, and the government hasn’t really listened.
He said the conferences served as NT Labor’s decision-making body.
“If politicians don’t look out for their own party, they’re shooting themselves in the foot,” he said.
“We are concerned that in the future, Labor will be guilty of greenwashing.”
Anti-fracking motions passed
Of the 23 motions relating to fracking and the environment, all of which passed, one from the East Arnhem electorate of Mulka – calling on the NT Government to “immediately ban fracking” – highlighted that there there was strong opposition from Aboriginal traditional owners.
“There is a strong sense of mistrust about fracking and there are still concerns that fracking will affect aquifers, water catchments, song lines and sacred sites, causing irreparable damage to the country and culture,” affirms
The motion also called for a ban on the basis that “widespread opposition” would adversely affect the Labor vote in many divisions in the 2024 NT election.
Another motion, tabled by Young Labour, called on the government to recognize the Beetaloo project was “an indictment of the morals of the Territory Labor Party and is a direct result of capitalist greed”.
A motion by the Community and Public Sector Union said “the parliamentary wing of Labor has continued to ignore the democratically stated wishes of the party” and called on the government to “fully and properly” implement the remaining recommendations of the Pepper Inquiry .
“In particular, as a matter of urgency, Recommendation 9.8 “that the NT and Australian Governments seek to ensure that there is no net increase in life-cycle GHG emissions emitted in Australia by any onshore shale gas produced in NT,” he said.
A motion tabled by Territory Labor Women said gas exploration was a “poor economic investment for the government, and not an industry suitable for public subsidy” and questioned the “vast amounts of public money” that had already promised so much the NT governments as well as the federal ones.
Gas companies, including Origin Energy and Santos, have increased exploration in the region after the Labor Territory government lifted its moratorium on fracking in 2018.
Spanning an area more than twice the size of Tasmania, the basin contains enough shale gas to power Australia for an estimated 200 years.
Natahsa Fyles attended the conference over the weekend. (ABC News: Che Chorley)
Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said the grants had always been dismissed by the NT government but understood the importance of creating jobs for the territories.
He said the government had pledged to implement the 135 recommendations of the Pepper Inquiry, but did not respond to questions about growing support for an end to fracking from within the party.
“We also know that protecting our natural environment is paramount,” he said.
“Complying with each of the Scientific Inquiry’s recommendations will ensure that the natural gas industry operates under a best practice regulatory regime where territories can be confident that the environment is protected.”
Australian Petroleum Exploration and Production Association director Cassandra Schmidt said the Beetaloo Basin was recognized at state and federal political level as a “tremendous economic and energy security opportunity for the Northern Territory and Australia “.
He said it could provide up to 6,000 new jobs and billions of dollars in revenue to governments over the next two decades.
“We need to follow the facts and science to get the best outcome for the territories and more than a dozen inquiries, reviews and studies, including the 15-month NT Pepper Inquiry, have found that hydraulic fracturing can be done effectively safe with any potential risk managed.” she said
A spokesman for Origin Energy, a company with significant stakes in the Beetaloo, said it would continue to work with the NT Government to “achieve successful outcomes and maximize opportunities for our Beetaloo exploration project”.