The $800 million Jemena project aims to lay 622 kilometres of pipe from Tennant Creek to Mount Isa to bring gas to the east coast.

The pipeline has been strongly linked to the development of unconventional gas by fracking in the NT.

The project had been because of a dispute between Indigenous land councils and traditional owners who had refused access to traditional land.

Primary Industry and Resources Minister Ken Vowles today announced that Jemena has been granted a Pipeline Licence for the significant Northern Gas Pipeline project.

The first gas is expected to flow in the pipeline in 2018.

Minister Vowles said a Consent to Construct the Phillip Creek Station Compressor Facility, north of Tennant Creek has also been granted.

“Significant milestones have now been reached in the development of this major project,” Minister Vowles said.

“This is an important job-creating project for the Territory – it will generate around 900 jobs during construction and will support our Government’s plans to develop Tennant Creek as a resources industry services hub which will see many on-going jobs.

“The Territory Labor Government has promised to restore trust by creating jobs and the construction of the Northern Gas Pipeline will help underpin that and drive development in the Barkly region.”

Mr Vowles said a thorough assessment of the Pipeline Management Plan, including the Environmental Management Plan, was undertaken and included an independent review.

“It is a priority of government that the pipeline be constructed in such a way that it delivers safe and secure infrastructure that meets the requirements of the Northern Territory,” Minister Vowles said.

The independent NT Environmental Protection Authority has assessed the Northern Gas Pipeline’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and recommended that the project be given approval to construct and operate the pipeline within the Northern Territory. 

The NT EPA made eight recommendations as part of its EIS assessment, all of which have been addressed as part of the Pipeline Management Plan and associated Environmental Management Plan for this section of the project.

The recommendations from the Commonwealth environmental regulator have also been addressed as part of the Pipeline Management Plan.

As part of this Government’s commitment to transparency, the project’s Environmental Management Plan will be made available online and the Department of Primary Industry and Resources will provide regular updates on compliance and enforcement of the Environmental Management Plan throughout the project.

The pipeline’s approval is a terrible outcome for Territorians, and undermines the integrity of the Gunner Government’s fracking inquiry, says the Lock the Gate Alliance.

”The pipeline is enabling infrastructure for the fracking industry, which is supposed to be under independent assessment,” said Naomi Hogan of the NT Lock the Gate Alliance.

“The decision also flies in the face of a recent NT Labor Conference resolution, which said the Labor Government would support there being no fracked gas allowed along this pipeline.

“The vast majority of pastoralists, communities and Traditional Owners across the NT do not want their lands and waterways transformed into fracking gasfields, but this pipeline approval risks doing just that.

“Not only will this gas pipeline put our land and water at risk, but it could plug us in to the disastrous gas price hikes on the east coast caused by LNG exports, and drive up domestic gas prices for Territorians.

“We need a water-tight guarantee that this gas pipeline will not lead to new fracking gasfields or rising gas prices for Territory users.

“Gas fracking companies are licking their lips at the prospect of this pipeline assisting them to vacuum more Australian gas offshore and sting domestic users with higher costs.

“There is no long-term benefit from this foreign-owned pipeline to Territorians or local businesses, yet the pain inflicted on our cattle and tourism industries if fracking goes ahead will be immense.

“We’re calling on the Chief Minister to honour the commitment made at the Labor conference and put in place legal rules to prevent this pipeline being used to carry fracked gas or drive gas price hikes once we are joined into the eastern gas market,” Ms Hogan said.

Gadrian Hoosan is a Traditional Owner from the Gulf region of the Northern Territory. His traditional lands are being targeted with fracking exploration licences.

"We are going to continue to do everything we can to make sure fracking gasfields do not destroy our country and our waterways,” said Mr Hoosan.

“We will fight to be gasfield free - and we will win. 

“We will not allow our traditional country to be a sacrifice zone for fracking, while the gas industry profits at our expense,” he said.