Update Scientific enquiry hydraulic fracturing NT, page-32

Fracking fight must be honest
NT News
February 10, 2018 1:00am

IN a few weeks time we will have a clear picture of the economic direction the Northern Territory will take.

Fundamental to that direction is the final report of the Scientific Inquiry headed by Justice Rachel Pepper.

By the end of March we hope to have a decision by the Gunner Government on whether it will lift the moratorium on fracking and allow the onshore gas industry to develop beyond its existing presence in Central Australia. If it’s been a tiring process for us watching it unfold, imagine what it’s been like for those on the panel who have sat through hours and hours of evidence and waded through thousands of pages of contradictory documents.

This week, however, took on a new tone which exposed that the whole truth and nothing but the truth may not be the truth. Lock The Gate made a very serious allegation of evidence tampering and that gas company Origin Energy and the NT Government had been co-conspirators in an attempt to mislead the inquiry.

It was a well-organised attack with press releases and media interviews completed within minutes with the unsettling narrative to undermine the credibility of the gas company and the inquiry.

But the attack failed when it was discovered the diagrams which the allegations were based off had already been supplied to the inquiry in May and well ahead of the publication of the interim and draft reports. Justice Pepper and her panel were very clear that in no way had they been misled deliberately or otherwise.

Since then, Lock The Gate has not formally apologised and Justice Pepper has expressed concern the allegations were neither withdrawn, nor an apology issued. The NT News supports a regulated onshore gas industry to mitigate any risks. All we ask is for both sides of the debate to speak the truth leading up to what is such an important decision for the Territory’s future.