A Federal Senate Inquiry has uncovered shocking evidence of the potential serious mishandling of public money for fracking. The Federal Government wants to give away $50 million in grants to fracking companies in the NT. 

We’ve learned that Traditional Owners’ voices and concerns have been continuously sidelined, all while Liberal Party donors are set to receive millions of dollars to frack the NT.

As Traditional Owner Johnny Wilson said to the Senate Inquiry: “If I had my way I'd say take it and shove it. My country is worth more than $50 million. My country is life. Please give us a fair go. Please, we are begging with our grieving hearts.”

“Just like the other Traditional Owners on Country, we are struggling to even get the basic maintenance for our land, for our community, and yet the government is willing to pour so much money into destroying our country.”

If you can think of a better way to spend $50 million in the NT, then we need you to take action. 

Australian Senators have an important decision to make in the coming days. They have the power to disallow, to stop, the fracking grants going from the Federal Government to fracking companies. 

Can you contact Federal Senators across the country who can stop these terrible fracking grants? Please leave a message with their office or send them an email and let them know: 

• Senator Malarndirri McCarthy and the Senate Committee have shown leadership in investigating the dodgy NT fracking grants and hearing from impacted Traditional Owners.
  

• The inquiry found many Traditional Owners have not been consulted and do not consent to fracking on their Country.

• The money could be so much better spent! Hospitals and schools in the Northern Territory are desperate for upgrades, private fracking companies don’t need our money.
  

• Fracking company Empire Energy is set to get a whopping $21 million in public funds…  and their board and shareholders include major Liberal party donors.
  

• Empire Energy had undisclosed meetings with the Government, all before the fracking grants were announced.
  

• Please do the right thing for Australian taxpayers and all Territorians and disallow the Beetaloo fracking grants.

Senator Contact Numbers and email– Labor and Crossbench (click to view)

You can also send the Senators an email. Here are some draft ideas: 

Dear Senator ___________ 

My name is _____ and I live in  _____.

I have been following the Senate inquiry into Oil and gas exploration and production in the Beetaloo Basin and the Beetaloo Cooperative Drilling Program Instrument 2021, which provides public money for oil and gas corporations.

I firstly want to praise Labor Senator Malarndirri McCarthy and the Senate Committee members for their role in this inquiry and bringing critical information and Traditional Owners voices into the spotlight. 

During last week’s hearings the senate inquiry has heard that the gas companies seeking to frack the Beetaloo Basin have links to tax secrecy jurisdictions, the Liberal party and Russian plutocrats.

The inquiry also heard repeatedly that Traditional Owners in the Beetaloo Basin region do not want this money to be given to gas companies and that many have not given free prior and informed consent to fracking on their lands.

Traditional Owner Johnny Wilson said it was “very disturbing” that the government was handing so much money to oil and gas companies while local communities struggled to obtain even basic infrastructure.

“I still live in a tin shack. My floor is bare ground,” he said. “Just like the other Traditional Owners on Country, we are struggling to even get the basic maintenance for our land, for our community, and yet the government is willing to pour so much money into destroying our country.”

Earlier this month, the first three grants from the $50 million dollar program were given to a subsidiary of Empire Energy, a company chaired by major Liberal donor Paul Espie. 

Empire Energy was given the grants, worth $21m, to drill at three sites in the Beetaloo, despite still waiting on the necessary environmental approvals from the Northern Territory government.

Other companies which may be eligible for the grants include Falcon Oil and Gas and Sweetpea petroleum, both of which are linked to known tax secrecy havens.

The money could be so much better spent. Hospitals and schools in the Northern Territory are desperate for upgrades. Private fracking companies don’t need our money.

I feel that ample evidence has been provided throughout this inquiry that this $50 million dollar federal grant program is not in the public interest and is simply a matter of the Liberal party throwing their donors another bone.

With this evidence in mind, I urge you as an Australian Senator to use your power to vote for the disallowance of this fracking instrument and to vote against these subsidies. 

Kind regards,