Authorities in the Northern Territory have authorized hydraulic fracturing operations in the massive gas reserve in the Beetaloo Basin, drawing the ire of scientists and local Aboriginal communities.
Billions of dollars in economic benefits, and thousands of jobs created: this is what the government of the Northern Territory in Australia promises, which this week gave the green light to hydraulic fracturing in the Beetaloo basin, an immense gas reserve the size of Brittany.
A project that Natasha Fyles, who leads this Australian region, also presents as a local contribution to global energy security: “It’s time for the Northern Territory to provide the energy the world needs to transition to renewables”, she indicates.
The Nurrdalinji aborigines see this as very bad news
Natural gas presented as a transition energy towards carbon neutrality is indeed the astonishing position of the Australian government. For Johnny Wilson, representative of the Nurrdalinji Aboriginal community, who lives in the Beetaloo basin, this decision is very bad news.
“We are totally opposed to fracking, the government is mistaken in supporting it. It will destroy our sacred sites, our cultural heritage and our water resources.”
Johnny Wilsonat franceinfo
The authorities of the Northern Territory have assured that this controversial project, which had been subject to a moratorium in the past, will respect all the recommendations made in a parliamentary report published four years ago.
The federal government remains silent despite its commitments
On this point, the scientific community has serious doubts, as does Johnny Wilson, who regrets that the new federal government in Canberra, despite strong commitments in the fight against global warming and the inclusion of aborigines in the decision-making process , has remained silent for the time being.
“The Albanese government must step in to prevent authorities in the Northern Territory from authorizing fracking, but also ensure that all recommendations made in the Senate report on the Beetaloo Basin are implemented,” so called Johnny Wilson. “Especially, he points out, the implementation of a national plan to offset all the emissions, direct and indirect, that this project will generate at Beetaloo.” Once operational, shale gas extraction in the Beetaloo Basin is expected to generate nearly 90 million tonnes of CO2 per year.