Nurrdalinji Aboriginal Corporation vows to consider legal and other options

On the same day Reconciliation Week begins, the new NT Fyles government has approved four new Origin fracking wells in the Beetaloo Basin. Meanwhile, Tamboran Resources has commenced bringing heavy work equipment to cut fences onto Tanumbirini cattle station, clearing land to build a road and new well dangerously close to Newcastle Creek which is protected by sacred sites legislation. Rallen has given no consent and the gas company is proposing construction of a new access track 

In an historic partnership, one of Australia’s largest landowners, Rallen Australia is uniting with Traditional Owners in opposition to fracking on its Tanumbirini cattle station after controversial gas company Tamboran Resources gave notice it intends to enter Tanumbirini today to begin preparatory activities for fracking, despite not having the pastoralists’ consent. 

Commenting on the news of Chief Minister Gunner’s resignation, Traditional Owners from the Beetaloo region have called for a new direction from the NT government which embraces clean energy, not fracking, to help create jobs and secure energy security.

Announcement by Minister Keith Pitt that he has reissued a grant of $19.4m to Imperial Oil & Gas to pursue fracking in the Beetaloo Basin, following a Federal Court ruling in December 2021 that Minister Pitt’s original decision to make the grant under the Beetaloo Cooperative Drilling Program was invalid because of ongoing court action.

Nurrdalinji Aboriginal Corporation presents at Darwin hearing of Senate Inquiry into gas exploration in the Beetaloo. Comments on Taylor's budget announcement today of $50.3M for 7 new gas projects, including Beetaloo pipeline study.

Commenting on the Morrison government’s latest grant of $7.5M for fracking exploration in the NT’s Beetaloo Basin, Nurrdalinji Aboriginal Corporation has called for a pause on all exploration and approvals until proper consultation occurs with Traditional Owners and the cumulative risks of fracking for water, sacred sites and native animals are better understood.

Traditional owners from NT’s Beetaloo Basin, the site of fracking by Santos, Origin and others, fear flooding from Cyclone Tiffany will result in pollution from wastewater ponds overflowing into sensitive streams, rivers and unsafe drinking water.

Beetaloo Basin traditional owners comment on Rallen Australia’s current NT Supreme Court action against Santos for failing to disclose approval for two additional fracking wells on Rallen’s Tanumbirini Station near Daly Waters. Media report here.

Nurrdalinji responds to announcement by the Northern Territory Government that it has granted approval to Empire Energy for up to 7 fracking wells in the Beetaloo Basin. Approval document here. Empire ASX notice here and public statement. Empire Energy, a Liberal Party donor, was controversially granted $21 million by the Morrison government in July 2021, as part of its ‘gas-fired recovery’

A report from Reputex, released today, calculating the costs of the Morrison government’s plans to develop new fracking fields in the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo Basin, presents even more reasons to say no to fracking, say Beetaloo Traditional Owners and representatives of the Nurrdalinji Native Title Aboriginal Corporation working to protect the Beetaloo from fracking.