A group of traditional owners, doctors, scientists and investors have called on energy Infrastructure company APA to end it's plan to build a pipeline in the Beetaloo basin in the Northern Territory.
APA plans to build the pipeline, which would connect pilot gas fracking projects in the Basin to Darwin and the east coast.
Rachel Mealey: A group of traditional owners, doctors, scientists and environmentalists have handed an open letter to gas pipeline company APA, calling on it to end plans for a gas pipeline in the Beetaloo Basin. The project would connect several pilot gas exploration projects run by other companies to the existing MacArthur River pipeline. The group says the pipelines are incompatible with climate goals, while APA says it's supporting a transition to net zero. Luke Radford reports.
Luke Radford: Lying some 500 kilometres southeast of Darwin, the Beetaloo Basin is remote, sparsely populated and absolutely loaded with natural gas. It's also one of the battlegrounds in Australia's climate wars. Several companies are developing pilot projects in the basin, but they need a pipeline to transport the gas back to the coast. A company called APA has agreed to build that pipeline. And that's attracted the attention of a group of opponents, led by environmental advocacy project Market Forces. Rachel Deans is a campaigner with Market Forces.
Rachel Deans: So traditional owners, leading doctors and scientists joined over 17,000 people, environment and human rights organisations to sign an open letter calling on APA to end its plans to build pipelines which would enable dangerous fracking in the Northern Territory.
Luke Radford: A motion written by Market Forces was moved by 128 shareholders in APA, calling on the company to explain how it plans to manage emissions from new pipelines. It was defeated, but attracted support from 12% of APA's shareholders. Ms Deans says their appearance at the APA meeting was met with respect and they had a productive conversation with APA's CEO, Andrew Watson. She emphasised that the campaign's attention is focused solely on the Beetaloo Basin project.
Rachel Deans: This is what I said to APA. The main issue that we have with APA is building this particular project that would enable fracking. APA is generally not a company that we would campaign on. However, this project is so terrible and the emissions are absolutely enormous.
Luke Radford: The pipeline has attracted attention because the gas projects associated with it rely on fracking, a form of gas extraction which is either banned or restricted in some other states. Among the opponents are local traditional owners from the Noonalingi Aboriginal Corporation. Samuel Sandy is a Djingili elder and chair of the corporation.
Samuel Janama Sandy: We want to take care of country and protect country and border from these big gas companies that's on the Beetaloo Basin environment, especially in our ecosystems that we have in the Northern Territory on the Beetaloo Basin area itself and also our way of life and also our cultural and unsacred sites that we have on country.
Luke Radford: The traditional owners' opposition to the project is based on more than just cultural grounds. They say it doesn't make sense environmentally or economically. Samuel Sandy says they'd like to see development of renewable energy resources instead.
Samuel Janama Sandy: Well, if APA get to build a new pipeline, they're going to put countrymen, cattle stations, tourism, plants and animals at risk. Because climate change is already here in the Territory. That's the reason why we want solar, not gas.
Luke Radford: Also signing the letter to APA are several doctors and medical researchers who say they're concerned about health impacts. One of them is Melissa Haswell, a professor of health practice and environmental wellbeing at the University of Sydney.
Melissa Haswell: There's really strong evidence now of people who are living near the gas development, pregnant women, their foetuses are born smaller, lower birth weights, as well as interference with the development that can lead to birth defects have been linked as well as acute lymphoblastic leukemia in very young children.
Luke Radford: APA have been contacted for comment. The company provided the ABC with a written copy of the speech its chair Michael Fraser made at the annual general meeting today.
Michael Fraser: APA respects the rights of our investors to put forward resolutions and we welcome ongoing engagement with investors and other stakeholders that have an interest in our business. We've engaged with market forces about their views about the development of the Beetaloo Basin and will continue to consult and engage with security holders and other stakeholders in the future. The federal government's future gas strategy is very clear that new sources of natural gas will be required for Australia's transition to net zero and we support that transition.
Luke Radford: The Northern Territory Government has signed a nine-year deal with US gas company Tamboran Resources to buy fracked gas from the Beetaloo Basin.
Rachel Mealey: That report by Luke Radford.