By ERWIN CHLANDA
“The moratorium will remain in place to allow Labor to conduct a peer review of the science around fracking in the Territory, to have a thorough cross Territory consultation process and put into place world leading environmental protection regulations,” says Acting Opposition Leader, Lynne Walker (pictured), in reply to questions from the Alice Springs News Online.
“Territorians are very concerned about fracking. Rushing into a decision will not be supported by us and has the very real potential to put jobs and industries at risk in alternative industries such as agriculture, tourism, fishing and the environment to name a few.”
The Alice Springs News Online has put these follow-up questions to Ms Walker:-
• Is it the Hawke report that would be peer reviewed?
• How would the “Territory” be consulted?
• What is the time line for these two processes?
• In what way would a Labor government be guided by either process: Would a new report be commissioned if the Hawke one is seen to be flawed?
• If the majority of the people consulted are against fracking, will it remained barred?
• Who has the world’s leading environmental protection regulations?
• Are our current systems for enforcing regulations adequate?
• If not, what would Labor do?
• Would there be an independent umpire of the enforcement of regulation?
We will report the replies when they come to hand.
Says Ms Walker: “Labor is committed to creating jobs, restoring trust in Government and focusing on developing our kids.
“Labor continues its strong support for the pipeline to Queensland, the growth and development of the conventional onshore gas industry and the off shore gas industry.
“Given the CLP’s recent history and its poor handling of the environment – Port Melville, a port that’s not a port, and the Supreme Court’s findings around their mismanagement of water licences, Territorians have no trust in this Government’s ability to go through the processes with all checks and balances in place.
“That’s why Labor has opted for a moratorium so this can all be sorted out,” says Ms Walker.
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
The freedom of the press still furnishes that check upon government which no constitution has ever been able to provide – Chicago Tribune.
Good questions, thanks Erwin!
As regards future fracking in the NT, the CLP is gung-ho and the ALP has come up with this moratorium and a trust-us-we-are-on-your-side bit of nonsense.
There seems to only one political party in the NT willing to declare an unequivocal “No” to fracking. That party is not the ALP nor the CLP, but the 1Territory Party.
World leading environmental protection regulations would obviously include a complete ban considering the impact fossil fuels have in the environment not to mention the ranges if fracking.