News & Analysis // Northern Territory
August 2024
The billboard they didn’t want you to see
While the gas industry has been busy trying to tell you that we need more gas, we’ve been busy countering their spin with facts, especially in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. However, not everyone is as enthusiastic as we are for the message to get out. A billboard too far? We wanted to let
NT motorists pay 32 times more in rego than the gas industry pays in royalties: New research
Motorists pay almost 32 times more in vehicle registration than the gas industry pays in royalties in the Northern Territory, according to new Australia Institute research.
January 2024
Australian governments suck up to Japanese fossil fuel companies. Again.
The Australian and Northern Territory Governments continue to do all they can to help foreign gas companies including giving them gas for free, despite them paying next to no tax.
November 2023
New research shows our 2030 emission targets are woefully out of date
The evidence is clear – our current policies and targets are insufficient to prevent dangerous global warming, and not aligned with latest scientific research.
October 2023
Proposed NT gas mega-projects will crowd out jobs and non-gas businesses
Australia Institute analysis shows the benefits of gas development in the NT have been overstated, and that gas development will crowd out jobs in other industries.
August 2023
The Northern Territory is the world leader for per-capita emissions
The Australian Government would like the other states to help offset the Northern Territory emissions. That’s a big ask given the NT is already the heaviest emitter of CO2 per capita in the world
_Proposed LNG plant emissions equivalent to 12 coal-fired power stations
New research from the Australia Institute has found that the lifecycle emissions resulting from Tamboran Resources’ proposed Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) processing and export facility in the Northern Territory (NT) would be equivalent to 12 coal-fired power stations every year when operating at full capacity
May 2023
Climate Policy Reforms Add Up to $1 Billion Cost to Santos Barossa Project
The costs of a controversial gas project off the Northern Territory coast will increase by between $500 million and $987 million over five years due to new Australian climate policy, according to estimates by The Australia Institute. The Barossa gas project, proposed by Santos for waters 285km north of Darwin, is particularly affected by recent
January 2023
No economic benefit from NT cotton: submission
Research released today by The Australia Institute shows that a cotton industry in the Northern Territory would not bring significant employment or tax payments. The findings were submitted to the NT Government’s water policy consultation process, which closed yesterday. Key points: The cotton industry does not create significant employment in Australia. Cotton growing employs just
May 2022
NSW Legalises Voluntary Assisted Dying, Time to Grant Territories Their Democratic Rights
“The NSW Parliament’s decision to legalise voluntary assisted dying means the Federal Parliament should remove the bar that prevents the ACT and the NT from considering similar legislation,” said Ben Oquist, executive director of the Australia Institute. “Our research shows the majority of Australians support the Federal Parliament giving back Territory rights on legislating voluntary assisted
October 2021
Offsetting up for failure: Northern Territory Climate Offsets Policy
With the impacts of climate change already being felt in the Northern Territory, new research shows the Northern Territory Government’s draft Greenhouse Gas Emissions Offsets Policy should be abandoned or at least heavily revised. A submission from The Australia Institute’s Climate & Energy Program shows that the proposed offset system would undermine existing NT Government
September 2021
Over 60 scientists & experts call on NT Chief Minister Gunner to honour commitment to net-zero fracking emissions
Over 60 leading scientists and experts have published an open letter in the NT News, co-ordinated by the Australia Institute, calling on Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner to fulfill his commitment that all emission be fully offset or gas fracking should not go ahead. Chief Minister Gunner has committed to faithfully implement all the
Fracked: Gas in the Northern Territory
Extracting gas from the Northern Territory through hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) is one of the largest potential sources of carbon pollution in the world. In this episode we explore the climate cost of a potential policy backflip on opening up the NT to fracking, as well as the community opposition and the economics of it all.
July 2021
$226 million government subsidy to NT frackers while gas takes charge of information program to Aboriginal communities
The Commonwealth Government is pouring $226 million of public money into subsidies for the NT gas industry, says a submission by the Australia Institute to a Senate inquiry. These massive public subsidies confirm the findings of the NT Fracking Inquiry that large scale fracking in the NT is unlikely to be commercially viable and will
April 2021
Majority of Australians Support Territories Rights on Voluntary Assisted Dying
The vast majority of Australians (76%) support the Commonwealth allowing Territory Governments to legislate to legalise voluntary assisted dying within their jurisdictions. The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,434 Australians about their attitudes to voluntary assisted dying. Key findings: Three in four Australians (76%) support the Commonwealth allowing Territory Governments to legalise
March 2021
Oil & Gas Exploration Shows No Benefit to Australian Community
Australians significantly overestimate the oil and gas industry’s contribution to Commonwealth revenue, and the Australian community would most benefit by moving away from the oil and gas industry, according to an Australia Institute submission to the Senate Economics Legislation Committee. The Australia Institute has made a submission to the Senate Economics Committee as part of
December 2020
$50 Million Hand-Out to Northern Territory Frackers
The Federal Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia Keith Pitt, has today announced a $50 million taxpayer-funded subsidy to fracking companies in the Northern Territory. “Subsidising oil and gas fracking is the last thing governments should be doing from both an economic and climate perspective,” said Rod Campbell, Research Director at The Australia Institute.
July 2020
Most Australians Agree Children as Young as 10yo Do Not Belong in Prison
New research from the Australia Institute and Change the Record shows that most Australians agree children as young as 10 years old do not belong in prison, and that Australia’s age of criminal responsibility should be increased from 10 years of age to the global median of 14 years of age, or higher. The Council
Fracking can’t fire up NT manufacturing
Research published today by The Australia Institute highlights that employment in gas-related manufacturing declined while gas in the Northern Territory was very cheap. Fracked gas will be far more expensive, making petrochemical manufacturing in the Territory unviable without massive taxpayer subsidy. Key findings: The NT Government’s Power and Water Corporation had large surpluses of gas
May 2020
Frackers are slackers: $94 million in subsidies to onshore gas in the Territory
Research published today (Tuesday May 12) by The Australia Institute highlights the extent of taxpayer assistance to the onshore oil and gas industry in the Northern Territory. NT Government budget papers reveal that over the last decade $94 million in subsidies and assistance measures have benefited the industry. Key findings: The NT Fracking Inquiry recommended
February 2020
NT Fracking Worse Than All Australian Coal Power Stations Combined
New Australia Institute analysis shows NT fracking emissions under the NT Government’s own Fracking Inquiry’s high production scenario would be worse than the emissions of Australia’s coal fleet across the National Energy Market (NEM) in 2030, and require more offsets each year than have ever been issued in Australia to date. Key findings: Government documents
November 2018
Frackmail? $260 million NT deal rushed as fracking ban overturned
New research from The Australia Institute shows that, while treasurer, Scott Morrison rushed a $260 million deal with the Northern Territory Government through in a matter of days, at exactly the same time that the NT announced it would overturn its moratorium on fracking. The report shows that even under FOI the Government has blocked
October 2018
Massive NT fracking emissions will cost billions to offset
Offsetting fracking emissions identified by the Northern Territory Fracking Inquiry would reach $4.3 billion in costs per year if fracking in the NT is at full production by 2030 and $53 billion over the decade from 2030-40, finds new research from the Australia Institute. The new analysis released today uses Australian Government modelling of the
April 2018
Top scientists call for NT to keep gas in the ground
Twenty of Australia’s top scientists are calling to permanently ban fracking in the Northern Territory because of its impact on climate change. The joint statement, written in response to the Final Report of the NT Fracking Inquiry, commends the Inquiry’s findings that the increase of greenhouse gases that would result from fracking is “unacceptable” and again
March 2018
Majority of Territorians support keeping fracking moratorium
Polling of the electorate of Solomon released today by the Australia Institute shows a majority support keeping the NT fracking moratorium in place. Results: 53% total support for keeping in place the fracking moratorium, to 38% opposed. 58% do not trust the NT and the gas companies to implement and enforce all recommendations from the
February 2018
Open letter: 30 top scientists call for NT fracking ban
30 of Australia’s most respected scientists and energy experts have signed an open letter, published by the Australia Institute today, calling on the Northern Territory and Federal Governments not to allow fracking in the Territory to proceed under any circumstances. The Fracking Inquiry found that a single gas field that would increase Australia’s emissions by
NT shale gas risks Australia’s Paris commitment
The Australia Institute’s submission to the NT fracking Inquiry has found that fully exploiting the Northern Territory’s shale gas resources could result in emissions equivalent to sixty times Australia’s total current annual emissions, equivalent to 130 new coal power plants operating for 40 years. The submission also finds that the inquiry failed to follow its
September 2017
McArthur River Mine economic benefits of $1.5B dismissed as ‘Wishful Zincking’
The Australia Institute has released a scathing criticism of economic modelling in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Glencore’s zinc mine expansion. “Glencore claim up front that the expansion of McArthur River would generate taxes and royalties of over $1.5 billion,” said Rod Campbell, Research Director of The Australia Institute. “But it’s not until you
May 2017
NT fracking hope misguided: Economist points out high risks and low returns
The Australia Institute has made a submission to the Northern Territory’s inquiry into fracking and unconventional gas development. The Canberra-based research organisation finds that fracking would reduce energy security and could represent a net economic loss to the Territory. Energy security would be reduced because the NT already has plenty of conventional gas to cover
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