The story below was from late last year. We had some technical problems and couldnât post it but its more relevant now than ever. Thatâs because Minister Plibersek needs to decide whether to âcall inâ two projects currently drilling in the Beetaloo Basin for assessment under the âwater triggerâ of Australiaâs nature laws – the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC ) Act.
Please read below for the details and take action by writing to our Federal member Josh Burns and the Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek. We understand that members of the Federal Labor caucus will be meeting the Minister this week on the issue. So, your emails would be very timely. ( for some extra help see guides and emails at the bottom of this email).
The Federal government could also decide before going into election mode to redirect S1.9billion of federal funding away from a massive gas hub in Darwinâs Middle Arm and toward much needed housing, renewable and educational projects in the NT. Please read about that below too and include in your email to Josh Burns a request to advocate to his Labor colleagues, Minister Plibersek and the Minister for Infrastructure Catherine King that the subsidy to Middle Arm also be redirected to worthwhile NT projects.
Voices from the Frontline of the Climate Crisis: The Northern Territory Roadshow, late November 2024
Naarm (Melbourne) has hosted two powerful community gatherings recently, where Traditional Owners and health and environment experts travelled from the Northern Territory to bring an urgent message to Victoria and the Federal Government:
- to redirect the $1.9 billion fossil fuel subsidy from a massive gas project in Darwinâs Middle Arm to sustainable projects that will benefit Territorians
- to stop fracking in the Beetaloo Basin and to rally support for the fight against gas expansion in the NT.
On Saturday 23 November 2024, there was a Town Hall Meeting in Coburg and on Sunday 24 November, a public meeting at the Koorie Heritage Trust, Melbourne. These important events were organised by Environment Centre NT and the Beyond Gas Network. PECAN members attended, along with members from the Yarra Climate Action Network, Lighter Footprints, Kooyong Climate Change Alliance, Glen Eira Climate Action Network, and Beyond Coal and Gas Macnamara.
Dr Kirsty Howey, Executive Director Environment Centre NT hosted the Coburg Town Hall event. And Mililma May, Danggalaba Kulumbirigin Tiwi Traditional owner and community organizer, hosted and facilitated the event at the Koorie Heritage Trust
Speakers at the event included:
- Miliwanga Wurrben, Rembarrnga Traditional Owner, healer and artist
- Adam Gaston, Mangarrayi man and advocate for Country
- Dr. Louise Woodward, NT Pediatrician
- Dr Kirsty Howey, Executive Director Environment Centre NT
Here is a short video of the Coburg event
Audiences were engaged and inspired by the deeply personal stories from Traditional Owners, and horrified by the looming construction of 6,000 wells planned to be fracked on Country. Attendees left with determination to do what we can here in Melbourne to pressure Victorian Federal Labor MPs to advocate against fracking.
Fracking involves mixing vast quantities of chemicals, sand and water and pumping them deep underground at high pressure to extract gas. Fracking industrialises landscapes. Fracking produces large volumes of harmful wastes, which will be held in open tanks even during the wet season posing a major pollution risk to creeks and rivers.
Follow up action to support the NT Traditional Owners and activists is crucial.
We will be following these events with action to advocate to MPs that fracking must be stopped. It is now desperately important to meet with Labor MPs and discuss the following points:
- The climate crisis is accelerating and action in Australia is increasingly urgent.
- The Beetaloo Basin is a carbon bomb and action to stop imminent fracking is urgent and must be implemented without delay;
- Reinforce the Traditional Owners urgent message: to redirect the $1.9 billion fossil fuel subsidy from a massive gas project in Darwinâs Middle Arm to sustainable energy projects that will benefit Territorians (more information available here)
- Minister Plibersek must be pressured to implement the water trigger in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC.) The Federal government must use its powers under Federal Environment legislation to stop fracking in the Beetaloo Basin.
Itâs vital that we leverage the abundant energy and momentum raised in Melbourne by these events and pressure MPs to act.
Our requests of Federal Labor MPs:
- Urgently write to Minister Plibersek requesting the she use her power under the EPBC Act to call in for assessment the unconventional gas exploration and appraisal activities of the fracking companies in the Beetaloo Basin
The report of the Independent Scientific Committee has been published and contrary to giving a greenlight to the above projects as emails from Labor MPs suggest, the report recognises that it does not have the information to decide on the projects and it wasnât asked or required to make a decision about specific projects. In fact, the report acknowledges a lack of knowledge of the impacts on water and the environment in general if fracking the Beetaloo went ahead.
- Urgently write to Minister Catherine King requesting that she redirect the $1.9 billion subsidy from Middle Arm to sustainable projects that will benefit Territorians.
Follow-up action is vital. We need as many federal Victorian Labor MPs as possible to hear from us now before they take a break, so time is short!
In Macnamara, we call on our federal member Josh Burns to have the Federal Government redirect the $1.9 bill subsidy proposed for the so-called Middle Arm âsustainable Development Precinctâ to other much needed NT projects. He needs also to have the Federal government use its powers under Federal Environment legislation to stop companies fracking in the Beetaloo Basin.
Please call, write to and/or call in to your Federal Labor MP. If you donât know your MP you can look them up on the Australian Electoral Commission website via postcode, electorate or suburb. Then click on your electorate â youâll be given the name of your local MP and a link with more information on how to contact them and also the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) is helpful. The AMCS has great tips about calling here
Drilling has already started in the Beetaloo Basin and this may be the last opportunity to prevent full-scale fracking before it starts next year, bearing in mind that âexploratoryâ and âappraisalâ drilling in preparation for fracking is well under way. Unless it is paused fracking will commence in the wet season with a greatly increased risk of contamination of surface water.
Sending a strong message to our (local) politicians that the Middle Arm gas and petrochemical hub proposed for Darwin Harbour, and fracking in the Beetaloo Basin, would have devastating consequences both for the health and wellbeing of local people and for the climate.
Port Phillip Emergency Climate Action Network
Some links to help you write your emails.
Hereâs a guide from our friends at Lock the Gate https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jlqSS8fjBjPAyvqYnWLgXV9UuNdKhXHLcMRZwFTlhBA/edit?usp=sharing
And below our own PECAN/ GECAN email to Josh Burns Jan 23, 2025 https://docs.google.com/document/d/16cZIl8hoKIQlOTcYSFGlT8MpwZOhLLVa/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=102720848511313993613&rtpof=true&sd=true