The Gunner Government’s bizarre decision to side with the Morrison Government and waste more taxpayer funds propping up polluting fracking gasfields will threaten communities, damage the environment, and push the Territory’s fragile economy further into the doldrums.
Today, Chief Minister Michael Gunner is expected to announce plans to use more public money to further subsidise the unstable and dying gas industry, while pushing for environmental vandals Origin Energy to resume fracking in the Beetaloo Basin.
“Let’s be clear, the fracking industry in the NT is a leaner, not a lifter,” Protect Country Alliance spokesperson Dan Robins said.
“The frackers are slackers who have guzzled more than $100 million in public funds over the past decade, while giving absolutely nothing back to Territorians.”
A recent report by The Australia Institute showed $94 million had been given to the shale gas industry over the past decade. According to the NT Government’s own budget figures, $60.4 million paid for subsidised exploration and gas industry promotion, while approximately $33.6 million went to unrecovered administration costs.
Then last week, NT Treasurer Nicole Manison announced another $11.79 million for the NT onshore shale gas fracking industry.
Mr Robins said fracking was the wrong way to encourage more manufacturing in the Territory.
“The shale gas industry has already been given more than $100 million of taxpayer money by the NT Government and now it is asking for more,” he said.
“These frackers can’t even stand on their own two feet. The public purse certainly should not have to pay for these private companies to lay waste to land, water, and communities.
“Manufacturing jobs can be powered by renewable sources. There are private solar companies lining up with plans to invest in the NT, instead Michael Gunner wants to use public money to prop up a dying gas industry.”
Beyond Zero Emissions' 10 Gigawatt Vision maps out plans for a renewable powered manufacturing industry in the Northern Territory.
“The NT Government needs to put an end to this wasteful, decade long addiction to giving away taxpayer money to the polluting and economically unviable shale gas fracking industry,” Mr Robins said.
“Instead, we are calling on the government to get behind the solar companies that want to create a renewable energy future for the NT.”