On a day when Tasmania moves to ban hydraulic fracturing for another five years, the NT releases a report that finds “no justification whatsoever” for a moratorium on the controversial mining practice.
In the NT Parliament today, the Government tabled the 200-page Hawke Report into hydraulic fracturing in the state.
It received the report late last year but said it needed time to digest the lengthy material before it would be released to the public.
Fracturing – or fracking as it is often called – involves pumping water, sand and chemicals at high pressure to fracture rock layers deep within the earth to extract natural gas.
The practice has been criticised by community and pastoral groups, who say it can contaminate and damage water supplies and destroy viable farm land.
The report – authored by Dr Allan Hawke – made six recommendations.
Among these was the finding that “a robust regulatory regime” needed to be created to manage the environmental risks associated with hydraulic fracturing.
It also said the Northern Territory Environmental Assessment Act needed to be restructured.
NT Minister for Mines and Energy Dave Tollner said the key finding of the Hawke Report was “fracking can take place safely in the Northern Territory, provided the appropriate regulatory and monitoring regime is in place to allay community concern”.
“We want to now work with Territorians in developing the best possible regulatory regime that is in line with community expectations,” he said.
Mr Tollner said he asked the author of the report, Dr Allan Hawke, to stay on to lead a review of the regulatory regime to engage “with the community and key stakeholders to develop a best practice framework”.
“In the meantime, we are confident that with only 24 wells due to be drilled in the Territory this year, onshore exploration activity can be safely managed through existing legislation in conjunction with a new set of guiding principles,” he said.
“These guiding principles clearly set out how the industry should conduct itself for all onshore oil and gas exploration in the Territory.”
Tasmanian moratorium to ‘protect reputation for fresh produce’
But in Tasmania, Primary Industries Minister Jeremy Rockliff said there was uncertainty around fracturing and his decision to extend that state’s ban implemented in 2014 by another five years would “protect Tasmania’s reputation for producing fresh, premium and safe produce”.
“There is considerable concern around the potential negative impacts of fracking, particularly within our rural communities and farming families who rely so heavily on our global reputation for producing premium and safe products,” he said.
“It is also clear that there is considerable concern for landowners’ rights and public and environmental health.
“After consideration, advice and consultation, it is prudent that we introduce a five-year moratorium on fracking in Tasmania.”
David Morris from the NT Environmental Defenders Office said it was good news the Government was committing to an overhaul of the regulation process.
But he said it would make more sense to stop all exploration until that new framework was in place.
“Any responsible government would be doing that, but I think it would also be prudent to say that while we’re upgrading these regulations, we’re going to put a stop to this process,” Mr Morris said.
The six recommendations from the Hawke report into hydraulic fracking in the NT:
1. Consistent with other Australian and international reviews, the environmental risks associated with hydraulic fracturing can be managed effectively subject to the creation of a robust regulatory regime.
2. The substantive weight of agreed expert opinion leads the Inquiry to find that there is no justification whatsoever for the imposition of a moratorium of hydraulic fracturing in the Northern Territory.
3. The NT Government form a Cabinet Sub-Committee, chaired by the Deputy Chief Minister and comprising the Ministers whose portfolios cover Lands, Planning and the Environment; Land Resource Management; Mines and Energy; and Primary Industry and Fisheries to oversee the work required for the Northern Territory to set the standard for a best practice regulatory regime.
4. The Northern Territory Environmental Assessment Act be restructured in the light of this Report and the proposed bilateral agreements with the Commonwealth on environmental assessments and approvals.
5. The NT Government consider aligning the petroleum and mineral royalty frameworks.
6. The NT Government propose through the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Standing Council on Energy and Resources that the Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA) host a workshop of international academies to consider their collective findings, learn from each other and identify the findings shared by all of the academies.