No fracked gas in pipeline? By ERWIN CHLANDA With his...

No fracked gas in pipeline?
By ERWIN CHLANDA

With his government’s fracking enquiry still in progress, Resources Minister Ken Vowles (at right) has announced the granting of the licence to build the Tennant Creek to Mt Isa pipeline, and described it as an “important job creating project” that will “drive development in the Barkly region”.

Consent to construct the Phillip Creek Station compressor facility, north of Tennant Creek, has also been granted.

But Naomi Hogan (above left), from Lock the Gate NT, says the approval “is a terrible outcome for Territorians, and undermines the integrity of the Gunner Government’s fracking inquiry.

“The pipeline is enabling infrastructure for the fracking industry, which is supposed to be under independent assessment,” she says.

“The decision also flies in the face of a recent NT Labor Conference resolution, which said the Labor Government would support there being no fracked gas allowed along this pipeline.”

Mr Vowles says the project will generate around 900 jobs during construction “and will support our Government’s plans to develop Tennant Creek as a resources industry services hub which will see many ongoing jobs.

“The Territory Labor Government has promised to restore trust by creating jobs. The construction of the Northern Gas Pipeline will help underpin that and drive development in the Barkly region.”

He says the NT Environmental Protection Authority has recommended that the project be given approval and operate the pipeline within the Northern Territory.

Ms Hogan says the “vast majority of pastoralists, communities and traditional owners across the NT do not want their lands and waterways transformed into fracking gas fields.

“This gas pipeline could plug us in to the disastrous gas price hikes on the east coast caused by LNG exports, and drive up domestic gas prices for Territorians.

“We’re calling on the Chief Minister to honour the commitment made at the Labor conference and put in place legal rules to prevent this pipeline being used to carry fracked gas or drive gas price hikes once we are joined into the eastern gas market,” Ms Hogan says.