Tell the inquiry we don't want fracking, not now not ever.
We have just 7 days to make our voices heard in the inquiry into fracking in the Beetaloo Basin!
Traditional Owners are working on their submissions right now, and are asking you to do the same.
But with the inquiry just announced last week, and submissions closing next week, we don't have a lot of time.
Please, will you take the time to lodge a submission to this crucial inquiry?
Traditional Owners are working on their submissions right now, and are asking you to do the same.
But with the inquiry just announced last week, and submissions closing next week, we don't have a lot of time.
Please, will you take the time to lodge a submission to this crucial inquiry?
Here's a message from Larissa - who's been working on this campaign for years - about why this moment is so important, and why she's urging you to lodge a submission today.
She's a proud Widjabul Wia-bal woman from the Bundjalung Nation and Campaigns Director of the First Nations Justice Team here at GetUp.
She's a proud Widjabul Wia-bal woman from the Bundjalung Nation and Campaigns Director of the First Nations Justice Team here at GetUp.
For some inquiries and submission processes, the key is to get as many submissions as possible. But for this inquiry, it's better to have informed, unique, thoughtful submissions. So please, take anything you need from Larissa's message above, or the information below, to help you.
Traditional Owners have given evidence on behalf of themselves and others in their community on the question of consent, explaining how there has been: no process of informed consent for the Beetaloo exploration to occur; no scientific explanation for the work; no translators provided to their community groups; and no information about the long-term impact and risks to water tables, their livelihood and the land on which they live. They're concerned that even the mining corporations involved (like Empire, Santos, and Origin) have not been able to tell them where the exploration wells will be, how they will impact the underground water, what the final production level mine would look like, or how many wells are being proposed. These Owners have been flatly ignored by the Government in their opposition to drilling on their lands.
Vested interests
The corporations vying for a piece of the $50m include Origin, Santos, and Empire. Two of these companies pay zero tax, while the other is led by a multi millionaire who is a major donor to the Liberal Party. The size of Aboriginal land that Empire Energy is planning to frack is almost twice the size of Tasmania. It would be environmentally catastrophic and go against the stated wishes of Traditional Owners who are anxious that sacred and culturally important sites are at risk of destruction.
Water contamination
Many remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory have water contamination levels above national guidelines. The Gunner Government's promised industry regulations to mitigate any risk to water have still not been implemented. Which means these fracking corporations could contaminate more sacred water without consequence.
- Address the committee: "Dear Committee Secretary" or something to that effect!
- Introduce yourself and state why you're writing: Say who you are, where you're from, and that you're lodging a submission into the Industry Research and Development (Beetaloo Cooperative Drilling Program) Instrument 2021.
- Talk about why $50 million for fracking corporations concerns you: As Larissa mentioned in her message, these destructive projects have not sought proper and informed consent from Traditional owners, are led by fracking corporations with vested interests, and would contaminate land, water and culture across the NT. You can talk about all of these things, some of these things, or something else entirely. There's more information on some of these concerns below.
- Sign off! Remember this is a formal government process, so sign off as you would any formal letter.
Traditional Owners have given evidence on behalf of themselves and others in their community on the question of consent, explaining how there has been: no process of informed consent for the Beetaloo exploration to occur; no scientific explanation for the work; no translators provided to their community groups; and no information about the long-term impact and risks to water tables, their livelihood and the land on which they live. They're concerned that even the mining corporations involved (like Empire, Santos, and Origin) have not been able to tell them where the exploration wells will be, how they will impact the underground water, what the final production level mine would look like, or how many wells are being proposed. These Owners have been flatly ignored by the Government in their opposition to drilling on their lands.
Vested interests
The corporations vying for a piece of the $50m include Origin, Santos, and Empire. Two of these companies pay zero tax, while the other is led by a multi millionaire who is a major donor to the Liberal Party. The size of Aboriginal land that Empire Energy is planning to frack is almost twice the size of Tasmania. It would be environmentally catastrophic and go against the stated wishes of Traditional Owners who are anxious that sacred and culturally important sites are at risk of destruction.
Water contamination
Many remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory have water contamination levels above national guidelines. The Gunner Government's promised industry regulations to mitigate any risk to water have still not been implemented. Which means these fracking corporations could contaminate more sacred water without consequence.
In this years Federal Budget, the Morrison Government announced $550 million in subsidies for the gas industry. Included in this was $50 million for development of fracking in the Beetaloo Basin called the Industry Research and Development (Beetaloo Cooperative Drilling Program) Instrument 2021 - basically a slush fund for fracking corporations to destroy water, land, and culture.
But to do so, Morrison needs to get this new legislation passed in the Senate. And last week, after a huge campaign led by Traditional Owners, the Senate voted for an inquiry into the legislation.
This doesn't put an end to the $50 million just yet, but it does give us the perfect opportunity to shine a light on why it shouldn't be passed.
Submissions are due by the 7th of July. A hearing will be held on 12th July, with an interim report released 3rd August. A final report is due March 2022.
If you'd like more information on the legislation, you can read it here.
But to do so, Morrison needs to get this new legislation passed in the Senate. And last week, after a huge campaign led by Traditional Owners, the Senate voted for an inquiry into the legislation.
This doesn't put an end to the $50 million just yet, but it does give us the perfect opportunity to shine a light on why it shouldn't be passed.
Submissions are due by the 7th of July. A hearing will be held on 12th July, with an interim report released 3rd August. A final report is due March 2022.
If you'd like more information on the legislation, you can read it here.