Tanya Plibersek has asked a government scientific panel to examine whether contentious fracking plans in the Northern Territory’s vast Beetaloo gas basin south-east of Darwin would damage water resources.
Greens, independent MPs and environment groups have urged the Albanese government to use expanded “water trigger” powers that were added to environment laws last year to call in a specific Beetaloo Basin development – Tamboran Resources’ Shenandoah South pilot project – for federal assessment.
Instead, the environment minister has asked the government-appointed Independent Scientific Expert Committee to provide advice about the potential impact of gas exploration on water resources in the 28,000 sq km basin. Plibersek could formally call in the Tamboran and other projects for assessment under national law, depending on the advice.
Tamboran began drilling at the site last month, and its exploratory work was approved and strongly backed by the former Labor NT government that lost power three weeks ago. The territory government announced in April it had already signed a deal with the company to buy its fracked gas.
Plibersek said environmental decisions must be guided by science and national environment law. “That’s why I’ve asked the scientific experts to look into these projects to settle any concerns about potential impacts on water,” she said in a statement. “Everyone concerned should respect the independent scientists, not rush to judgment on the basis of assumptions.”
The local federal Labor MP, Marion Scrymgour, said she welcomed the committee’s involvement “as a further safeguard that will ensure our waterways and natural resources remain protected”.
But the national coordinator for activist group Lock the Gate, Carmel Flint, said the advice was “far too little, too late” as Tamboran had begun drilling and planned to start fracking. She said Lock the Gate wrote to the minister in February providing expert evidence that fracking would significantly affect water resources.
“We absolutely support the [committee] investigating the proposed works in the Beetaloo, but … it makes no sense for fracking companies to be able to start work before the scientific advice has been provided,” she said.
The federal Greens environment spokesperson, Sarah Hanson-Young, said Tamboran could start fracking “any day” and Plibersek should use her powers under the expanded water trigger to stop it. “Letting the company drill for months while the report is being written is too risky for the environment and local water supply,” she said.
Coalition MPs said the scientific assessment of potential risks to water resources was unnecessary. The NT environment minister, Josh Burgoyne, said the onshore petroleum industry was well regulated and the federal government had “no reason to put a handbrake” on development in the basin.
The federal Coalition’s spokesperson for resources and northern Australia, Susan McDonald, said Plibersek’s decision was “another obvious step towards blocking yet more critical energy projects for Australia”.
Tamboran Resources’ managing director, Joel Riddle, said the company’s activities were subject to an NT environmental management plan and it was confident “our current activities do not have a significant impact on water resources”.
Scientists and environmentalists opposing fracking in the basin have described it as a potential “carbon bomb” that will add substantially to greenhouse gas emissions. A spokesperson for the Arid Lands Environment Centre, Hannah Ekin, said federal Labor should be electorally wary about the issue, arguing anti-fracking candidates out-polled losing ALP MPs in parts of the NT at the territory election.
The Beetaloo announcement comes as the Albanese government is under pressure over stalled plans to create Environment Protection Australia – a national EPA – and to rewrite national conservation law.
Legislation to establish the EPA and a second body, Environment Information Australia, had been listed to be debated in the Senate this week, but was pulled from the schedule as talks between Plibersek and the Greens, crossbenchers and the Coalition continued with little clear progress.
The government has faced concerted attacks from the Coalition, the Minerals Council of Australia and parts of the news media for Plibersek suggesting at a mining event that the government was considering a proposal from the Greens and some crossbenchers that a development’s climate impact should be considered.
Anthony Albanese has made clear to parties in the negotiations that he opposed the crossbench proposal and wanted a deal struck with the Coalition.
The government’s promise to replace the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act – the national law that government reviews have found is failing to adequately protect Australia’s unique wildlife – has been delayed indefinitely.
