One of Australia's biggest fracking projects is facing fresh scrutiny after a referral from the Federal Environment Minister to a committee of experts. The committee is looking at gas exploration in the Beetaloo Basin and its potential impacts on water before a decision's made about its environmental approval.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00Fracking plans for the Beetaloo Basin are set to be examined by a government-appointed
00:06scientific panel after a request from the federal government.
00:10Backing science, independent science, is both the smart thing to do and the right thing
00:16to do.
00:17For residents in the Northern Territories Gulf region, it's a good start.
00:21It's encouraging news to hear, but it's not good enough, you know.
00:27We should pull the water trigger because Beetaloo is going to affect Europa.
00:32The Federal Environment Minister says she's asked the panel to help settle any concerns
00:37about the fracking project's potential impacts on water.
00:41But environmental groups are pushing for a full assessment under federal laws using a
00:45so-called expanded water trigger.
00:48It is absolutely essential that proper scrutiny is given to this very harmful industry in
00:55terms of environmental impacts.
00:57Others want the fracking plans to be scrapped altogether.
01:01We're in the midst of a climate crisis and we can't keep opening up new coal and gas
01:05fields and we certainly can't afford to poison our precious water supply.
01:11Beetaloo proponent Tamboran Resources declined an interview but said the company's confident
01:17that if the water trigger is pulled, they'll pass the test.
01:20The gas industry has labelled the latest review an unnecessary duplication of tests, while
01:25the new country Liberal government also has criticised the move, saying it's putting an
01:30unnecessary handbrake on the industry.