With more than 50% of the Territory's landmass open to gas licenses, the NT is under serious threat from hydraulic fracturing, or ‘gas fracking’. Gas, like coal, is a polluting fossil fuel that is wrecking our climate. We absolutely should not be looking for new gas.
Fracking is an expensive, dirty and dangerous way of extracting gas from layers of shale deep under the ground. The process requires millions of litres of water, and hundreds of tonnes of chemicals. Drilling for gas destroys our environment and cultural landscapes and threatens to contaminate our groundwater supply.
Gas is a job-poor industry and won’t help lower electricity prices, with most of the gas extracted in Australia shipped offshore. Yet the Morrison government spent millions on grants directly to gas companies and promised hundreds of millions more in subsidies for the industry, while the new Albanese government has not yet made it clear whether they will continue this wasteful and unpopular use of taxpayer money or redirect it towards the transition to renewables we desperately need. Publicly funded gas infrastructure will become stranded assets in a world that is rapidly moving toward renewable energy.
ALEC has campaigned to stop fracking in the Northern Territory since 2011, and continues to campaign to block the development of the Beetaloo sub-basin and associated pipelines across the NT. Fracking the Beetaloo would increase Australia’s total emissions by up to 22 per cent - fuelling climate disaster.
Across the Territory, the transition to clean energy offers the opportunity to create thousands of skilled local jobs, lift communities out of energy poverty, and power the revitalisation of remote and regional economies. ALEC advocates for a just transition to 100% renewable energy to ensure a liveable climate and safe future for all.
Learn more about our campaigns to stop fracking:
Don’t Frack the Outback
The struggle to stop fracking in the Beetaloo Basin has been amping up this year with a senate inquiry looking into federal government subsidies becoming yet another window into the wide opposition to fracking among Traditional Owners and affected communities, and fracking proving to be a key issue in the federal election campaign for Lingiari. Our campaigning and advocacy aims to keep public pressure on Territory politicians, with the goal of blocking fracking in the Beetaloo (currently in exploration phase), and ensuring no new areas in the NT are opened up for exploration.
Stronger together
Communities in the NT are in firing line of fracking and the risk this dangerous practice poses to precious groundwater, while the emissions associated with fracking puts all Australians at risk. ALEC works alongside these local, regional and national organisations in the campaign to stop fracking.
Central Australian Frack Free Alliance
The Central Australian Frack Free Alliance (CAFFA) is a grassroots alliance of concerned citizens in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) working to protect water, health, community and Country in Central Australia by opposing onshore shale gas projects in the NT.
Lock the Gate Alliance
The Lock the Gate Alliance is a national grassroots organisation made up of over 120,000 supporters and more than 450 local groups who are concerned about risky coal mining, coal seam gas and fracking. These groups are located in all parts of Australia and include farmers, traditional custodians, conservationists and urban residents.
Protect Country Alliance
The Protect Country Alliance brings together impacted landholders, communities, and civil society groups concerned about gas fracking proposals or projects in the Northern Territory. The Alliance is made up of delegates representing regional communities across the NT including; Elliott, Marlinja, Minyeri, Borroloola, Mataranka, and Jilkmingan.