2023-05-03
In 2018, the NT Government made a commitment that they were lifting their moratorium on fracking on the condition that they would implement all of the Pepper Inquiry recommendations before allowing gas production to commence. Today, the NT government is breaking its promise to Territorians.
Federal Labor has also committed to the Pepper inquiry recommendations and following the Greens agreement on the Federal Safeguard Bill, the Beetaloo and other gas projects have been under pressure. Now the NT Government is trying to shore up the controversial Beetaloo gas field by jumping the gun on Pepper Inquiry recommendations including the requirement for the Energy Minister’s Council to consider how Scope 2 and 3 emissions of the project should be dealt with.
Pepper Inquiry Recommendations on water and First Nations rights have also not been implemented.
The Greens are pushing Minister Bowen to pull the NT government back into line and ensure the Beetaloo project doesn’t proceed any further until a decision is made by the Energy Ministers and all the recommendations of the Pepper Inquiry are implemented.
Lines attributable to Australian Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP:
“The NT government is jumping the gun.
“The Beetaloo project has had more false starts than a primary school sports carnival, and Labor is again desperately trying to pump up the tyres of a project that has no future.
“The NT government should be focused on the Energy and Climate Ministerial Council, which will decide how to implement the Pepper Inquiry and nationally regulate Beetaloo’s indirect emissions, rather than trying to spin their way out of their commitments.
“Whatever spin NT Labor wants to use, our agreement makes it clear that the Pepper Inquiry has not yet been implemented.
“Territory Labor is clearly under pressure given the changes to the safeguard mechanism secured by the Greens. This is a knee-jerk reaction to give the gas industry hope that Australia’s biggest threat to a safe climate will start operating.
“In our safeguard negotiations, the Greens gave the Climate Minister the powers to stop the Beetaloo from proceeding and those powers can be used.
“We cannot let this climate bomb detonate. The Federal government can and must stop this climate-wrecking project from going ahead, because it will lift Australia’s pollution and blow even Labor’s weak climate targets.
“Federal Labor must pull Territory Labor into line.”
Lines attributable to Australian Greens Resources and First Nations spokesperson, Senator Dorinda Cox:
“We know the actual production of Beetaloo is a long way away and we know that Labor in the Territory has wanted to let it rip, that is why we have been throwing barriers in their way.
“The Pepper Inquiry required no net increase in ‘lifecycle emissions’ in Australia. Our safeguard agreement made it clear that implementing this recommendation 9.8 is not yet complete.
“To honour their word to all Territorians, but for the First Nation custodians and pastoralists in the Beetaloo in particular, Labor cannot allow gas production in the Beetaloo to commence."