Email Environment Minister Watt: Santos’ Beetaloo fracking must be federally assessed
Santos has just been approved to drill up to twelve new dirty fracking wells in the iconic Northern Territory's Beetaloo Basin, putting precious springs and threatened species at risk!
Gas fracking in the Northern Territory threatens the health of the rivers, springs and groundwater that people and wildlife rely on for survival.
This will be one of the largest fracking projects to date in the Beetaloo basin, and the closest to springs that have exceptional environmental and cultural values. Fracking in this remote area risks ground and surface water contamination, which could have irreversible impacts on one of Australia’s largest aquifers. Not to mention the climate damage that will occur from burning the gas extracted from these wells.
Santos could start drilling as early as next month if we don’t act now!
It’s staggering that fracking across the Territory has been allowed to occur without proper environmental impact assessment. An independent scientific committee concluded that fracking in the Beetaloo could pose substantial risks to the Territory’s water resources. Yet the Albanese Labor Government has failed to take a closer look.
Santos’ fracking plans could contaminate an underground aquifer that discharges into some of the most beautiful and intact rivers in northern Australia. The area is home to a range of native species, including the endangered Gouldian Finch – an iconic bird of our northern savannas.
Garrawa senior elder Jack Green has also warned there could be negative impacts on a devil dreaming songline.
Santos wants to drill these wells to figure out whether the Beetaloo’s shale gas is commercially viable. But if fracking in the Beetaloo increases to full scale production it will detonate a climate bomb. Thousands of wells could be drilled by Santos and other fracking companies, producing an estimated 1.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over 25 years to 2050.
The climate harm caused by burning Beetaloo gas that gets exported overseas comes back to bite us here at home in the form of climate-fuelled floods, droughts and fires. Export gas worsens the climate crisis, damages nature and rips off Australians while putting our kids’ futures at risk.
Our government must feel pressure from the public to know they cannot kick this water-guzzling climate-polluting gas can down the road. Email Environment Minister Watt and your local MP now urging the government to call in Santos’ gas fracking for assessment under the federal EPBC Act.
Every voice speaking up now is critical to ensuring Labor doesn’t turn a blind eye to the risks of gas fracking in the NT.
Thank you for using yours to protect nature and our climate!