Fracking the Beetaloo can and should be banned
Australian Conservation Foundation
The first fracked gas from the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo Basin is on its way to Darwin signalling the start of an environmental disaster that can and should be banned.
The national environment group, Australian Conservation Foundation, has called on Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt to use his position to call in fracking related projects for assessment of their water impacts under the EPBC Act.
Fracking is dirty and dangerous business and threatens contamination of precious underground and surface water resources like the iconic Mataranka and Bitter Springs.
“There’s every reason to believe fracking the Beetaloo Basin would be the most destructive and irresponsible gas project ever proposed in Australia and Minister Watt should exercise his powers to ensure Australia’s precious water resources are protected from fracking as Big Gas companies, including Beetaloo Energy, Tamboran Resources and Santos, race towards production-scale extraction,” ACF Head of Advocacy Gavan McFadzean said.
“Fracking is known to destroy groundwater aquifers essential for water supply and environmental flows, and the Top End is part of the world’s largest intact tropical savanna, with exceptionally high natural and cultural values and nationally listed threatened wildlife including the Gouldian Finch.
“If Beetaloo fracking scaled up to full production scale, it would unleash around 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon pollution over its lifetime, that’s three times Australia’s entire annual emissions in a year.
“With destructive extreme weather events now a weekly occurrence at home and abroad on our TV screens, Big Gas should not be allowed to detonate this huge carbon bomb.
“Make no mistake, this gas is for export. Any Beetaloo gas that does finds its way to the domestic market would be around 2.5 times more expensive than gas currently coming out of Queensland, making it far too expensive for domestic and industrial users.
“The Territory should be looking to the energy sources and jobs of the future not the past. With world leading access to renewable energy, it’s a no-brainer for the Top End to transition to the jobs and industries in a renewable energy future.”
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