Drilling into the

THIS week Territorians had two paths laid bare for them to consider.

One path involves economic development which would create jobs; boost the Territory economy and generate for the government revenue it desperately needs.

The other involved cutting jobs to free the money they need to deliver the programs to stimulate the economy.

In between these diametrically opposite outcomes is a policy re-confirmed 12 months ago by Territory Labor. The policy was to place a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing or fracking as it is more commonly known. Hydraulic fracturing is a key process involved in extracting onshore shale gas.

From the outset the policy was all about harnessing community concern, capitalising on emotion which has flowed freer than the hydraulically fractured gas, winning votes and making Territory Labor different to the then ruling CLP Government.

The internal architects of the ALP policy will argue it worked. However, the massive nature of the Gunner Government’s win makes it very difficult to filter out the exact impact of the policy, such was the dislike for the Giles Government. Those same architects are now responsible for the political wedge the Chief Minister Michael Gunner finds himself in.

The polls 18 months out showed the CLP government was on the nose well before the ALP even re-confirmed its moratorium to business at its jobs launch. Perhaps the best measure of the anti-fracking sentiment is the vote of 1Territory at the NT election. It has a policy opposing hydraulic fracturing and is far more vitriolic against it than Territory Labor. But in the 13 seats it fielded candidates across the NT it attracted just 3.6 per cent or 3520 of the primary vote. Its highest vote came in the seat of Katherine which seems to be the epicentre of anti-fracking sentiment.

The potential of onshore gas has now crystallised in everyone’s mind with Origin Energy confirming what had, until this time, been the subject of speculation and best educated estimates by consultants like Deloittes Access Economics.

What Origin Energy announced to the stock exchange this week, was, in the Beetaloo Basin, there is a gas field five times larger than the Inpex field, which we know will have a production life of around 40 years. But unlike the Inpex field, royalties from onshore gas will flow to the Territory, not Canberra.

Treasurer Nicole Manison argues the benefits of onshore gas won’t be seen for a decade. This is true but the longer the delay the longer it is until we see any benefit at all. The date of 2025 is only relevant if we start now.

That’s it, we are at the proverbial fork in the road, until the Gunner Government decides which way it is going to jump. It promised to hold an inquiry made up of expert panellists who will look into the risks associated with hydraulic fracturing and that process is underway. This week inquiry chair Justice Rachel Pepper indicated an interim report will be handed down in July with the final report expected at the end of the year.

However, the issue of onshore gas and the use of hydraulic fracturing to extract it and the impacts on the environment is only part of the overall complexity.

The issue of banning or allowing onshore gas development is far more complex than people may imagine. It certainly goes beyond the environment and touches the selfdetermination of indigenous people. Although the argument you can’t have co-exist- ence or you can’t have both is simply wrong. Even in Queensland, the poster child of all that is wrong with hydraulic fracturing of those opposed to gas, there is a positive working balance.

The Aboriginal Land Rights Act was introduced by the Fraser Government to give indigenous Territorians greater control over their land. The power to decide what happens on their land. The power of veto.

Territory Labor’s moratorium impacts on this power to a degree. A fact not lost on the joint sitting of the Northern and Central Land Councils in Kalkaringi to mark the 50th anniversary of the Wave Hill walk off in August last year. Faced with a motion to support a ban on fracking, the joint meeting acknowledged it is a decision to be made specific to the traditional owners of the area affected.

The motion said: “The joint meeting of NLC and CLC supports the rights of traditional Aboriginal owners to make their own decisions about the use of their land and waters free from outside influence. It is important to ensure that traditional owners have all the relevant information. The land councils will continue to make sure this happens. We recognise that some Aboriginal people have concerns about hydraulic fracturing and do not want it to occur on their lands and waters. But our job is to support and respect the decisions of traditional Aboriginal owners for the area in question.”

And given nearly 90 per cent of the Territory is in indigenous hands the chances are there will be traditional owners who are satisfied with what they have learned and will do deals with gas companies wanting to develop gas resour-

“Giving pastoralists a right to refuse access means foreign entities will determine what and when Australian resources can be developed”