Northern Territory authorities have allowed fracking in the massive Petalu Basin gas reserve, to the ire of scientists and local Aboriginal communities.
Billions of dollars in economic benefits, thousands of jobs created: that’s what the Northern Territory government in Australia promises, which this week gave the green light to hydraulic fracturing in the Petalou Basin, a huge gas reserve the size of Brittany.
A project by Natasha Phyllis, who leads this Australian region, as a local contribution to global energy security: “it is time for the Northern Territory to provide the energy the world needs to transition to renewable energy sources,” indicate.
For the indigenous people of Nordalinge, this is very bad news
Presenting natural gas as a transitional energy towards carbon neutrality is in fact the Australian government’s startling position. For Johnny Wilson, a representative of the Nurrdalinji Aboriginal community, who lives in the Beetaloo Basin, this decision is very bad news.
“We are totally against fracking, and the government is wrong to support it. It will destroy our sacred sites, our cultural heritage and our water resources.”
Johnny Wilsonat franceinfo
Northern Territory authorities have confirmed that this controversial project, which has been subject to a moratorium in the past, will respect all recommendations contained 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 laments that the new federal government in Canberra, despite strong commitments to combating global warming and including Aboriginal people in decision-making, has remained silent. in this time.
“The Albanian government must intervene to prevent the authorities in the Northern Territory from authorizing fracking, but also ensure that all recommendations in the Senate report on the Petalu Basin are implemented.” It’s called Johnny Wilson. “in particular, he points to, Implementation of a national plan to offset all direct and indirect emissions that this project will generate at Beetaloo.” Once operational, shale gas extraction in the Petalu Basin is expected to produce approximately 90 million tons of carbon dioxide annually.
