NT government approves US gas company Tamboran's plans to expand fracking in Beetaloo Basin

ABC NEWS (Australia)

US gas company Tamboran Resources' plan to significantly expand its fracking project in the Beetaloo Basin has been approved by the Northern Territory government.

Transcript

00:00Last month, a government celebrating.

00:04This is about securing our energy future in the Northern Territory.

00:09Today, a government in defence.

00:12There are very rigorous monitoring, there's very rigorous things in place to make sure

00:18and nobody wants to see our environment impacted.

00:21The NT government has approved Tamborin's self-assessed environment management plan

00:26to drill 15 more fracking wells in the Beedaloo Basin.

00:30The project is expected to use 375 million litres of water each year

00:36and will emit more than 170,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions yearly.

00:42But the project won't be required to undergo further independent scrutiny.

00:48I'm very, very concerned.

00:50I think this deserves the appropriate level of scrutiny for a new industry

00:58that is already causing heightened community concern.

01:02This decision is leaving our kids wondering who the adults in the room are here.

01:08Last year, Tamborin was fined over pollution violations

01:12and has faced allegations of water contamination.

01:15But the Chief Minister says there's been enough checks and balances for the gas giant to expand.

01:21They've gone through the right processes.

01:23They're not being rushed, they're being fully investigated.

01:25The critical question for everyone is will Minister Plibersek act,

01:30call in this project and have it assessed under federal law?

01:34Environment groups are calling on the Federal Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek,

01:38to pull the so-called water trigger,

01:40which would see experts examine the project's impacts on water.

01:44The NT government hasn't referred Tamborin yet,

01:47but Minister Plibersek says any breaches of environment law will be taken extremely seriously.

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