New NT cattle barons say their stock don't mix well with gas miners

A hearing was listed to begin in the Northern Territory Supreme Court on Monday between Rallen Australia and Sweetpea Petroleum.

The court challenge is seen to have big implications for the race to develop shale gas deposits in the Territory's Beetaloo basin.

Rallen Australia is owned by Sydney-based couple Pierre Langenhoven and Luciana Ravazzotti Langenhoven and is believed to have backing from South African ceramics rich lister Giovanni Ravazzotti, the father of Luciana.

Rallen has recently bought up six NT cattle stations encompassing 1.1 million hectares - Tanumbirini, Kalala, Big River, Larizone, Mt McMinn and Forrest Hill, running more than 70,000 head of cattle.

Most of the Territory's big stations operate through long-term pastoral leases and not freehold ownership.

Rallen says it has spent $200 million in the NT since 2019 buying up land and establishing its Brahman business.

Rallen director Luciana Ravazzotti said the cattle industry in the Territory was facing "an unprecedented challenge from fracking" and she said cattle and gas mining do not mix.

They have bought into the Beetaloo Basin, which has enough gas trapped in underground shale deposits to supply Australia for hundreds of years. Several gas companies have been drilling there for several years, with financial support from the former federal government, in an attempt to speed up development.

Rallen has challenged three gas companies with exploration rights over its Tanumbirini Station - Tamboran, Origin and Santos. Sweetpea Petroleum is a subsidiary of Sydney-headquartered Tamboran Resources.

Tamboran has an exploration permit for exploratory fracking which covers parts of Tanumbirini, near Daly Waters, plus neighbouring Beetaloo Station.

Beetaloo Station was listed to begin similar court action in the NT Supreme Court from Wednesday.

The company has publicly said it has attempted to engage in good faith with Rallen Australia to negotiate an equitable access agreement.

Rallen is appealing a NT Civil and Administrative Tribunal decision to allow Sweetpea to start work on its Tanumbirini station on various grounds including protection of its water infrastructure.

Nurrdalinji Aboriginal Corporation traditional owners supported pastoralists' legal bids but the Northern Land Council okayed the access agreement.