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Speaker 1: Now we know the Northern Territory's peak Conservation body has

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Speaker 1: filed proceedings in the nt Civil and Administrative Tribunal also

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Speaker 1: known as NTCAT, challenging Minister Kate Warden's decision in May

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Speaker 1: twenty twenty four to approve Tamborn Resources Shandoahs South E

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Speaker 1: and a program, the largest flat fracking proposal ever approved

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Speaker 1: in the Northern Territory. Now, the Environment Center sees this

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Speaker 1: as the first challenge to a fracking environment management plan

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Speaker 1: under new third party merits review provisions enacted under the

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Speaker 1: Petroleum Act following the recommendations of the Scientific Inquiry into Fracking.

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Speaker 1: Now joining us on the line is the Environment Center's

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Speaker 1: executive director, Kirsty Howe. Good morning to.

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Speaker 2: You, Good morning Katine, Good morning to you listeners.

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Speaker 1: Kercy, Can you tell me a bit more about what

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Speaker 1: steps are being taken here? Sure?

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Speaker 2: Well, look, I mean the first thing is of course

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Speaker 2: that there have been many people in the community concerned

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Speaker 2: in particular about the impacts of fracking on water, and

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Speaker 2: this is the biggest cracking application we've seen approved in

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Speaker 2: the territory. So following laws that were introduced just last year,

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Speaker 2: we had sought review of that particular approval in the

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Speaker 2: Northern Territory Civil and Administry of Tribunal, and we will

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Speaker 2: be asking the tribunal to look in particular on the

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Speaker 2: risks of that project on water on the aquifer and

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Speaker 2: that aquifer discharges into bitter springs Madaranka, the Ropa, there's

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Speaker 2: a really important water values that are cherished by so

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Speaker 2: many territorians.

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Speaker 1: And so Percy, what I know, you've touched on it

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Speaker 1: a little bit there, but talk us through exactly you

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Speaker 1: know why you feel that this step is required. I know,

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Speaker 1: like I'm sure that the government would say that they've

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Speaker 1: approved it based on you know, the environmental protection plans

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Speaker 1: that the organization or that the company has. So talk

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Speaker 1: us through exactly sort of what's prompted you to get

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Speaker 1: to this point.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, So, our organization's been doing a lot of work

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Speaker 2: around the scientific basis for decision making on water in

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Speaker 2: this area. That's related to fracking, but also other water

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Speaker 2: decisions and licenses. And we're particularly concerned that the baseline

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Speaker 2: studies that we were promised for fracking have not properly

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Speaker 2: addressed the risks. They're not sufficient for us to be

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Speaker 2: able to properly assess the impacts of fracking on this

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Speaker 2: really im precious water resource. But this is something we've

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Speaker 2: been talking about for a really long time. The other

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Speaker 2: thing we're concerned about, and people might be surprised to

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Speaker 2: know this, is that while there is a form of

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Speaker 2: environmental assessment that happens when these proposals are ticked off,

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Speaker 2: there's never actually been an environmental impact assessment under our

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Speaker 2: Environment Protection Act for fracking in the Northern Territory. And

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Speaker 2: we say that really needs to happen. And we're now

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Speaker 2: getting to a stage where fracking is picking up, where

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Speaker 2: the impacts are much bigger, and we're just not seeing

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Speaker 2: these projects being referred to the EPA for a proper

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Speaker 2: comprehensive assessment or to Federal Environment Minister Tanny Plisek under

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Speaker 2: the water trigger. So these are the kinds of issues

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Speaker 2: that will be ventilated in this particular challenge.

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Speaker 1: So what are the next steps?

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Speaker 2: So this is a new sort of jurisdiction for review

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Speaker 2: of fracking decisions. So it's sort of, you know, we're

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Speaker 2: kind of guessing, I suppose what will happen next. In

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Speaker 2: some ways, it will be really serious, similar to a

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Speaker 2: court process. So we'll come before the tribunal. The parties

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Speaker 2: will put on evidence and there will be a hearing

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Speaker 2: and lawyers will put forward their views from either side

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Speaker 2: about this particular review, and that might take a few months,

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Speaker 2: but we think it's a really important process. It's absolutely

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Speaker 2: crucial that we have the highest level of scrutiny on

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Speaker 2: these projects.

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Speaker 1: Kirstill knows some people listening this morning might be thinking

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Speaker 1: to themselves, you know, they just they actually really want

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Speaker 1: to see this industry able to get up and get moving,

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Speaker 1: and this is another hurdle. I mean, what would you

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Speaker 1: say to those people.

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Speaker 2: Look, I think that there's always a balance to be

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Speaker 2: struck here. Fracking may be supported by some people in

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Speaker 2: the community, but I think what everyone wants is to

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Speaker 2: ensure that things like our precious water are appropriately protected

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Speaker 2: and we shouldn't be rushing into this industry without those

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Speaker 2: safeguards in place. So, you know, let's protect places like Matdaranka,

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Speaker 2: like Bitter Springs, like the Roper and make sure that

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Speaker 2: the decisions are as robust as possible. That's simply what

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Speaker 2: we're asking the tribunal to do here.

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Speaker 1: Kirsty were just days away from the Northern Territory election.

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Speaker 1: Anything that the environment center is really pushing for from

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Speaker 1: the different political candidates of all persuade ahead of the election.

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Speaker 2: Well, look, we will be releasing our scorecards today which

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Speaker 2: we're happy to send to you. We've asked and surveyed

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Speaker 2: all of the parties about their commitments on nature, water,

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Speaker 2: climate and integrity. We have got some strong commitments so

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Speaker 2: that the Labor government has committed to a new bid

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Speaker 2: diversity strategy for the territory to look after our precious nature.

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Speaker 2: They're going to be reforming the Water Act, which process

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Speaker 2: is underway. And interestingly, the COLP has promised some really

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Speaker 2: strong emissions targets. They have committed to a forty three

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Speaker 2: percent reduction in our emissions by twenty thirty. They're right,

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Speaker 2: which we welcome and which we say really raises questions

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Speaker 2: about whether we can have those strong reductions reach net

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Speaker 2: zero by twenty fifty and actually proceed with industries like fracking.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, interesting, and I guess it will be. I'll be

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Speaker 1: keen to have a look through the through the report card,

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Speaker 1: or through what you guys have done, to have a

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Speaker 1: closer look at what the what the political parties are

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Speaker 1: sort of are aiming for or what they're promising, Kursey,

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Speaker 1: we always hear a lot, don't we before an election.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, we do. And you know there's there's another promise

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Speaker 2: that's been made by all major parties, which is that

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Speaker 2: there'll be no dams constructed on the roper and daily.

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Speaker 2: You know, it's an interesting time and I think you

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Speaker 2: know what a lot of people here in the territory

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Speaker 2: love about this place is our nature. Whether it's camping, fishing,

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Speaker 2: you know, hunting, there's all sorts of ways that people

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Speaker 2: enjoy this place and we want to see that protected.

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Speaker 2: And we think that's felt by a lot of people

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Speaker 2: across the territory and we want to see our governments

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Speaker 2: step up and protect it well.

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Speaker 1: Kersey Howie, Environment Center and to executive director. Great to

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Speaker 1: speak with you this morning. Thanks so much for your time.

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Speaker 2: Thank you, Katie, thank you