We were there in April last year when NT Chief Minister slid into a media room at parliament house in Darwin to announce the moratorium on fracking for gas would be lifted.

Like a lot of other people, we thought that would probably be it for the yellow-triangle brigade, the anti-frackers, the Don't Frack Katherine group.

Thanks heavens it wasn't.

Today Katherine stands free as a no go zone for gas exploration.

A few weeks earlier, when the draft maps came out, it wasn't.

For all this government's promises on being guided by science in allowing for the resumption of shale gas exploration, here was another moment when it wasn't.

This wasn't a decision based on science, it was based on politics.

The politics brought about by people power.

The Kerry Motts, the Charmaine Roths, the June and Daniel Tapps, and many others - they had been steadfast in their opposition to fracking for many years.

It was not the "strongly worded" letter from Katherine Town Council which came at the death knock, it was Katherine, the whole of Katherine, which won through.

Katherine has a reputation in the NT - not too keen on fracking are they down in Ktown, perhaps the no-go zone was a bone thrown to keep us quiet.

There are some in this town who also wonder whether a gas industry might "save" the NT, and even lead to a boost in fortunes for a regional centre like Katherine.

Well we've fought the good fight, but we've lost, now perhaps we need to so if we can profit from it.

After all we are the closest big centre to the Beetaloo gas fields, if indeed that's what they are.

There are a lot of ifs still about that, just as there are about the economics of extracting and piping any gas that is found.

Not many people have taken their yellow triangles from their properties or their vehicles.

We don't need another poll to recognise most of Katherine remains united in opposition to this industry.

We have said in this place before, no other community is suffering the chemical contamination of their drinking water as we already are.

Today we doff our broad hats to the anti-frackers.

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