Say no to no go, urge anti-frackers

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2643 fracking map OK
 
2643 fracking map legend OKLETTER TO THE EDITOR
 
Sir – Territorians should defend their water and reject the NT Government’s planned no-go zone fracking maps, which place communities, high-value farmland and important cultural and ecological sites at risk.
 
The public has one week left to comment on the mapping which, if adopted and enshrined in legislation in its current form, would jeopardise drinking water for towns like Alice Springs, impact important cultural sites, and damage world-renowned wetlands.
 
Worryingly, the government appears to have already approved some areas of the NT for fracking despite the ongoing public consultation period.
 
This week, the government approved Origin Energy’s environmental management plan for civil engineering works to resume on its Kyalla test well on the Hayfield Shenandoah Station near Daly Waters, and gave Santos the go ahead to undertake civil engineering works and seismic testing on Tanumbirini Station north of Elliott.
 
Regional baseline water and biodiversity studies the Pepper inquiry ordered are also not yet complete.
 
It is madness for the government to be considering sacrificing so much water and land to the industry, particularly with the Territory now struggling off the back of one of the driest wet seasons in history. 51% of the NT is still not protected from invasive fracking, including key catchment areas, high-value agricultural land, and town water supplies.
 
In Alice Springs councilor Marli Banks said the drinking water supplies for Alice Springs and surrounding communities are at risk from exploration in the catchment area, as the water control district is not included for the no go zones.
 
She said there is little consideration given to the scarcity of water in our arid region. There is a crossover with the current granted petroleum licences, as they overlap with the water control district.
 
She says her understanding is that this district will be earmarked for fracking in the coming months and this puts our water at direct risk of contamination. It’s very concerning for locals.
 
The industrialisation of this region will also directly impact an already suffering tourism market, and could increase airfares for locals.
 
Cr Banks says we are also coming off one of our hottest summers on record, and encouraging industrial development that will increase global warming is not something that we should be doing.
 
Graeme Sawyer
Protect Country Alliance spokesperson
 
 
 

6 COMMENTS

  1. Readers are invited to Google the map of the Great Artesian Basin and contemplate the outcome of fracking.
    Fracking anywhere, at this stage of lack of knowledge, is nothing short of lunacy.
    I hope it will be the major issue in the next NT election.

  2. I agree wholeheartedly with Ted Egan, but fear that it will all be too late by the next election.
    I’ve tried to make a submission but the maps I’ve seen provided online are very pixilated and difficult to read.
    Maybe this is being done on purpose?
    It’s never-the-less easy to see that the biggest “no-go” area on these maps is all around Darwin.
    Call me cynical, but it seems to me that the NT Government is selling us all out for the benefit of the capital.
    Time to get very vocal, folks, or live with the consequences.

  3. I have a map which shows the land allocated for future fracking for the NT.
    Happy to share.
    I am against fracking.

  4. Given the literature to date re fracking and concerns raised by environmentalists wherever it has been undertaken I’m vehemently against the practice.

  5. Ted Egan’s comment re fracking being a big issue in the next election: It was a big issue in the last election.
    Labor won the seat of Katherine largely due to the anti-fracking sentiment but then ignored the message.

  6. Elected government, like other workers, should sign a contract highlighting their promises.
    Promises not kept will annul the contract (without pay) and another election could be called.

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