Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Kirsty Howey from the Environment Centre tells us why they're concerned about plans to develop the Beetaloo Basin by oil and gas companies

Transcript

Kirsty Howey from the Environment Centre tells us why they're concerned about plans to develop the Beetaloo Basin by oil and gas companies · 360 with Katie Woolf

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  Speaker 1: Well, as you've heard over the last couple of days,
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  Speaker 1: we do know that the inquiry, the Senate inquiry hearings
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  Speaker 1: into fracking here in the Northern Territory, they.
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  Speaker 2: Continue on in Darwin today.
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  Speaker 1: So yesterday a number of people were there presenting their
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  Speaker 1: perspectives and joining us on the line. Right now is
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  Speaker 1: Kirsty Howie, the co director of the Environment Center here
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  Speaker 1: in the Northern Territory.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Kirsty.
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  Speaker 3: Good morning Katie, thanks for having me on.
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  Speaker 2: You thank you so much for joining us.
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  Speaker 1: Talk us through what's gone on over the last two
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  Speaker 1: days from your perspective.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, well, look, yesterday in particular, it was an extraordinary
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  Speaker 3: day of hearing and evidence at the Senate inquiry into
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  Speaker 3: fracking the Beterloo, and at different points during the day
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  Speaker 3: you could have cut the tension with a knife. You know.
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  Speaker 3: The room was packed with traditional owners, pastoral peak bodies
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  Speaker 3: and of course the gas industry and Northern Territory government itself,
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  Speaker 3: and we heard a wide array of evidence including you
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  Speaker 3: know that people have serious issues with this industry and
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  Speaker 3: the way it's proceeding in the Northern Territory.
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  Speaker 2: And I guess I.
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  Speaker 1: Said this yesterday because We interviewed API yesterday as well,
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  Speaker 1: and I said the same to them that I'll say
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  Speaker 1: to you. I know that there are some people with
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  Speaker 1: serious concerns about fracking going ahead in the Beaterloo.
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  Speaker 2: There are others that feel as.
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  Speaker 1: Though it can be done safely and they want to
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  Speaker 1: see the industry get up and running. And then there
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  Speaker 1: are you know, some listening who really I suppose may
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  Speaker 1: not be as invested either way.
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  Speaker 2: But do you think we can do both?
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  Speaker 1: Do you think that we are in a situation where
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  Speaker 1: we can you know, where we can have the gas
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  Speaker 1: industry operating and it not cause environmental impacts.
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  Speaker 3: Well, look, of course there was an inquiry that investigated
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  Speaker 3: just that, and you'll recall back in twenty eighteen, the
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  Speaker 3: Gunner government quite controversially lifted the moratorium unfracking in the
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  Speaker 3: territory that it is imposed a couple of years earlier
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  Speaker 3: on the base of the Pepper Inquiries recommendation that the
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  Speaker 3: industry could proceed safely if one hundred and thirty five
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  Speaker 3: different recommendations were followed in full. And that's the problem. Essentially.
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  Speaker 3: What we heard yesterday was that the Northern Territory government
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  Speaker 3: is failing on that promise to deliver on all one
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  Speaker 3: hundred and thirty five recommendations, and in fact, we heard
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  Speaker 3: that from numerous different speakers that we're looking at more
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  Speaker 3: like twenty seven percent of recommendations being implemented, which is
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  Speaker 3: undermining trust. I guess in that fundamental promise that all
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  Speaker 3: of these things would be delivered.
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  Speaker 1: So what happens next, you know, with the inquiry, what
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  Speaker 1: will happen in terms of it being taken back to
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  Speaker 1: the Senate and what decision are we anticipating could come through.
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  Speaker 1: I guess we don't really know at this point until
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  Speaker 1: it's finalized.
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  Speaker 2: But what happens next?
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, well, look it is a Senate inquiry. This committee
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  Speaker 3: doesn't have the ability to say yes or no to
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  Speaker 3: fracking in the way for instance, the Northern Territory government has.
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  Speaker 3: But look, I think what we will see this inquiry
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  Speaker 3: do and consider is this fundamental question of whether the
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  Speaker 3: taxpayer you know, you and me should be funding this industry,
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  Speaker 3: including through There's a key grant that was the subject
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  Speaker 3: of you know, really the whole inquiry, which is the
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  Speaker 3: fifty million dollars that's been given to gas gas companies
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  Speaker 3: to stimulate exploration and production there's heaps of other grants
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  Speaker 3: as well, and the question is should that public funding
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  Speaker 3: continue to a multi billion dollar industry that should be
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  Speaker 3: able to stand on its own two feet. And I
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  Speaker 3: think that's the kind of recommendation we're going to see
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  Speaker 3: and really, honestly, that's the issue that all parties are
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  Speaker 3: going to have to grapple within this schedual election. So
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  Speaker 3: you know, it'll be interesting to see where Labor comes out,
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  Speaker 3: for instance, on this issue of public funding for the
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  Speaker 3: gas industry.
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  Speaker 1: And Kirsty, from your perspective as the co director of
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  Speaker 1: the Environment Center here in the Northern Territory, have you
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  Speaker 1: presented your perspective at this point and what have you
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  Speaker 1: said in that hearing?
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, look, we have. We've presented twice to the inquiry
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  Speaker 3: and we sort of we raised concerns first of all
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  Speaker 3: about the failure of the Northern Territory government to deliver
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  Speaker 3: on the Pepper Inquiry recommendations, which on the government's own
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  Speaker 3: logic means that the industry shouldn't proceed. And the second
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  Speaker 3: thing we've raised is this issue of public funding for
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  Speaker 3: the gas industry. And you might recall we actually did
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  Speaker 3: take Minister Pit to court last year, YEP over those
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  Speaker 3: grants and we were successful, although ultimately that money was
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  Speaker 3: regranted to Imperial Oil and Gas. And our concern is like,
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  Speaker 3: along with a lot of other territories, there's a lot
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  Speaker 3: of things that that money could be spent on in
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  Speaker 3: the territory. Hospitals, roads, you know, you name it, housing,
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  Speaker 3: and it shouldn't be going to gas companies, it should
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  Speaker 3: be going to other things.
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  Speaker 1: Well, Kirsty, I really appreciate your time this morning and
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  Speaker 1: certainly putting it into perspective, into the other perspective. Like
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  Speaker 1: I said, we spoke to API yesterday and it's been
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  Speaker 1: good to hear from you today. I think it's really
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  Speaker 1: good for territorians to hear things from both sides. And
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  Speaker 1: then I firmly believe, you know, people are certainly able
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  Speaker 1: to then make up their decisions themselves, whether they feel
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  Speaker 1: as though something is a good thing or if they
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  Speaker 1: feel as though it's money not not being spent properly
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  Speaker 1: and wasted.
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  Speaker 3: Thanks so much, and you're right, Katie, and thank you
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  Speaker 3: so much for having us.
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  Speaker 2: One no problem at all, will no doubt talk to
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  Speaker 2: you again soon. Thank you.