NT's new climate resilience plan lists gas project as top priority

The NT government's climate resilience plan lists the acceleration of works at the Beetaloo Basin as its number one priority. (ABC News: Hamish Harty) A newly released climate resilience plan from the Northern Territory government has listed the acceleration of gas extraction from the Beetaloo Basin as a top priority. The Climate Council and other environment groups have criticised the plan, saying it will increase emissions in the NT and "make climate change worse". Despite the criticism, Environment Minister Joshua Burgoyne says the plan focuses on "reducing emissions over time". Link copiedShareShare articleA new climate resilience plan released by the Northern Territory government has drawn fierce criticism from environment groups for prioritising the acceleration of gas extraction from the Beetaloo Basin. The plan, released on Monday, is set out in a three-page document, which says the Northern Territory government is focused on "working with the Australian government on the national target of net zero by 2050". It outlines five "strategic priorities", including delivering a "secure and reliable energy transition", attracting investment and promoting emissions reduction. Environment groups have criticised the plan for prioritising the gas industry over the environment. (Twitter: Tamboran Resources) One of those priorities includes a a plan to accelerate the production of "low emissions energy, including from the Beetaloo Sub-basin", which the government says would "support long-term energy security for the Territory, Australia and our region and … deliver secure and reliable energy to Territorians at the lowest sustainable cost". Major global oil and gas companies are expressing "serious interest" in the Beetaloo Basin for the first time, one analyst says, now that Beetaloo Energy has reached a final investment decision and committed to developing its fracking project. The Beetaloo Basin gas field, about 500 kilometres south-east of Darwin, is nearly half the size of Tasmania and contains enough gas to power Australia for an estimated 300 years. The government's climate plan has been widely criticised by environment groups, including the Climate Council, which say it will increase rather than reduce emissions. "You can't have a climate resilience plan where the number one thing that the Northern Territory plans to do is drill for more gas and make climate change worse," said Climate Council senior advisor Ben McLeod. Northern Territory' Environment Minister Joshua Burgoyne was unavailable for an interview about the plan, but said in a statement provided to the ABC that it "focuses on reducing emissions over time". "The Beetaloo gas supply is positioned as a low-emissions, tightly regulated gas development that will support Australia's energy transition by replacing higher emission fuels and backing up renewables," he said. Joshua Burgoyne says the plan "focuses on attracting investment, creating jobs and supporting new industries". (ABC News: Marcus Kennedy) The resilience plan provides some insight into Mr Burgoyne's description of the Beetaloo's "low-emissions gas". "Beetaloo gas is relatively low in emissions because it contains one to two per cent carbon dioxide, which is low compared to alternative Australian gas sources," the plan says. However, that view has been criticised by Mr McLeod. "There's no such thing as low-emissions gas. You can only get rid of a very small sliver of the emissions and then the rest of it you burn. You can't avoid that," he said. National advocacy group the Climate and Health Alliance has also spoken out in opposition to the resilience plan, with chief executive Michelle Isles agreeing that it will raise emissions. Michelle Isles says for the sake of Territorians' health, the acceleration of gas extraction in the NT should not be the priority. (ABC News: Marcus Kennedy) "It's going to impact the health of Territorians. If we care about securing the future of this place, then we can't be backing gas," she said. "The gas industry is trying to convince us that it is the way forward, but we know that the methane produced through gas is more potent than other emissions sources and harms human health." The Greens also slammed the plan, with the party's NT spokesperson Suki Dorras-Walker labelling it an "absolute joke". Suki Dorras-Walker has criticised the idea that gas expansion could be part of a climate resilience plan. (ABC News: Pete Garnish ) "It's not even greenwashing, it's openly talking about accelerating one of the biggest gas projects the Territory has ever seen," she said. Ms Dorras-Walker also said the plan failed to support those living in remote parts of the Territory. "This has absolutely nothing in it for remote communities … some of whom [recently] experienced some of the worst flooding we've seen in our history, had to be evacuated from country and spend weeks in evacuation shelters.," she said. The Northern Territory and West

NT's new climate resilience plan lists gas project as top priority

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