LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Sir – The gas-addicted Gunner Government has bent over backwards for big business at the expense of Territory communities again, choosing to ignore a key recommendation of the NT Fracking Inquiry.
The inquiry critically recommended all tanks that would hold fracking wastewater should be enclosed, but it now appears this advice will be foregone in favour of keeping the gas companies happy.
The onshore gas fracking industry and the NT Department of Primary Industry and Resources had drafted a plan to allow open air wastewater tanks and evaporation pits for fracking sludge waste.
The detail is held in the draft Code of Practice for Onshore Petroleum Activities, available for public submissions until this Thursday.
When Chief Minister Michael Gunner lifted the moratorium on fracking, he promised to implement all the Fracking Inquiry recommendations in full.
This underhanded response to Inquiry recommendation 7.12 is a broken promise, and creates a dangerous situation for waterways and wildlife.
It was bad enough that the Gunner Government went against the will of the people and removed the moratorium, but for it to go further and deliberately ignore recommendations designed to mitigate the risk of fracking is monstrous.
Fracking for gas in the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo Basin could unleash a carbon disaster that would make it impossible for Australia to meet our Paris targets.
Graeme Sawyer
Lock the Gate
Saturday, April 27, 2024
The freedom of the press still furnishes that check upon government which no constitution has ever been able to provide – Chicago Tribune.
