Chief Minister Gunner, we the undersigned call on you to immediately put a stop on any shale gas drilling during the wet season to protect the land, water and communities of the Northern Territory.

Imperial Oil and Gas are right now seeking permission to drill for shale gas in the wet season just 85 kms south-west of Borroloola within the Carpentaria and McArthur Basins. This drilling program will threaten communities, land, air and water. 

EP187 is situated in the upper reaches of the McArthur River, lies to the west of the Tablelands Highway, and is crossed east to west by the Carpentaria Highway. 

Due to delays caused by COVID-19 and other scheduling changes, these activities will now extend into the 2020/21 wet season. 

Drilling of the exploration well on Exploration Permit 187 in the Beetaloo sub-basin is now scheduled to commence in August 2020.

Michael Gunner’s Labor Government told Territorians that they would implement the recommendations of the Fracking Inquiry and protect NT water but now they have changed their minds.

Gunner wants to Imperial Oil and Gas to use open air water holding pits and unattended open-top tanks in the wet season and risk the likelihood of overtopping.

The Imperial Oil and Gas drilling program is at odds with the NT Fracking Inquiry recommendation 7.12. The Inquiry stated that: “enclosed tanks must be used to hold all wastewater.”

 These open pits are full of heavy metals, biocides and naturally occurring radioactive materials.

 Using open pits and unattended open-top tanks in the wet season poses a serious risk to soil, water and the threatened birdlife that visits the site, including the Gouldian Finch, and should not be open and accessible to birdlife at any time.

 The impacts on people in nearby communities posed by Imperial’s drilling program include:

• Increased potential for accidents and damage to infrastructure due to vehicle movements,
• Impact to onsite indigenous heritage site not previously identified,
• Land biodiversity impact due to heavy machinery movements,
• Increased intensity of flooding from land clearing and drilling activities,
• Noise and vibration due to vehicles movements, civil works and drilling activities,
• Disturbance to heritage sites due to works conducted out of the approved areas.

Chief Minister Gunner, we the undersigned call on you to immediately put a stop on any shale gas drilling during the wet season to protect the land, water and communities of the Northern Territory.