6 February 2022

The Territory Government is undertaking detailed investigative work into the baseline data of the Beetaloo Sub-Basin.

This week the Territory Government has released a tender for Environmental Health studies under the Strategic Regional Environmental and Baseline Assessment (SREBA) program in the Beetaloo Sub-basin.

There are four individual projects to be completed under this section of work, including:

• Population health - to set a baseline of the current health status of the population in the region;
• Air quality – to establish a baseline of air quality at selected sites in the region and develop a methodology for a monitoring program;
• Soils – a review and gap analysis of the studies undertaken through the Geological and Environmental Baseline Assessment program and Gas Industry Social and Environment Research Alliance program, the Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security (DEPWS) data holdings and any other relevant work, to establish a soil health baseline and develop a monitoring program.
• Water quality – a review and gap analysis of the water quality studies undertaken through the GBA program, GISERA and the Strategic Regional Environmental and Baseline Assessment (SREBA) program Water Quality and Quantity studies

Environmental Health is one of the six study domains within the SREBA Framework that must be undertaken prior to the granting of any onshore petroleum production approvals, as per Recommendation 15.1 of the Scientific Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracturing.

The scoping study for the social, cultural and economic studies was recently completed and forms the SCE scope of works.

Consultations undertaken in this stage included more than 40 organisations participating in discussions. The next stages of the SCE study will incorporate on-country engagement.

Undertaking the SREBA is one of 135 recommendations from the final report of the Scientific Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracturing in the Northern Territory the Government has committed to completing.

To view the report visit https://hydraulicfracturing.nt.gov.au/sreba/study-domains/social,-cultural-and-economic and tender visit  https://tendersonline.nt.gov.au/

Quotes from the Minister for Environment, Eva Lawler:

“The Territory Labor Government understands that a strong economy relies on a healthy environment and our unique environment needs a specific Territory approach.

“The release of the SREBA environmental health studies tender is a positive step forward in completing our SREBA. Territorians entrust this Government to fulfil their social obligations before allowing onshore processing. 

“The release of the SCE scope of works sets out the design and requirements for collecting the social, cultural and economic baseline data, and the release of the SREBA environmental health studies tender is a positive step forward in completing our SREBA.”

Eva Lawler

Minister for Environment

NTG Newsroom