List of Recommendations

Recommendation 1

2.40
The committee recommends that the Australian Government publicly confirm its position on increasing the transparency of the beneficial ownership of companies and update the Treasury website to reflect this position.

Recommendation 2

2.92
The committee recommends that the Senate refer an inquiry to the Environment and Communications References Committee into the Middle Arm Sustainable Development Project, noting that a future liquified natural gas and petrochemical plant in the area would likely source feedstock from the Beetaloo Basin.

Recommendation 3

3.21
The committee recommends that, consistent with Pepper Inquiry Recommendation 7.3, the Australian Government bring forward legislation to amend the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 to expand the water trigger to include all forms of unconventional gas, to be in operation by 31 December 2023.

Recommendation 4

4.11
The committee recommends that the Northern Territory Government expedite full implementation of all outstanding recommendations from the Scientific Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracturing in the Northern Territory, to fulfil its promise made to Northern Territorians to fully implement all recommendations of the independent inquiry.

Recommendation 5

4.24
The committee recommends that the Australian Government fund the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water; Geoscience Australia; the Bureau of Meteorology; and the CSIRO to conduct a collaborative and targeted study of the impacts to water resources (surface and groundwater) in the Beetaloo resulting from implementation of the Beetaloo Strategic Basin Plan.

Recommendation 6

4.73
The committee recommends that the Australian Government:
strongly assist the Northern Territory Government to create a regulatory framework that will enable the Territory to fully implement Recommendation 9.8 of the Pepper Inquiry prior to shale gas production in the Beetaloo; and
ensure that supporting frameworks and materials are developed expeditiously and made available to all ‘new entrants’ in the Beetaloo, to support the net zero Scope 1 emissions requirement.

Recommendation 7

4.75
The committee recommends that the Australian Government, in collaboration with other members of the Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council, prioritise developing a national approach to offsetting all Scope 2 and Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions from shale gas production in the Beetaloo.

Recommendation 8

4.90
The committee recommends that the Northern Territory Government reconsider the industrial project threshold set out in the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Management for New and Expanding Large Emitters policy, to ensure that the policy captures large emitters which establish shale gas production facilities in the Beetaloo.

Recommendation 9

5.23
The committee recommends that the Australian Government, as part of its efforts to renew the National Water Initiative, obtain from the Northern Territory Government a brief on actions undertaken by the Territory to give effect to its existing commitments under the Intergovernmental Agreement on the National Water Initiative.

Recommendation 10

5.52
The committee recommends that the Northern Land Council and the Top End (Default PBC/CLA) Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC collaborate with Native Title holders and Traditional Owners in the Beetaloo:
to implement the principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent in all decisions relating to gas exploration and production in the Beetaloo; and
if requested, to formulate a plan to establish a new prescribed body corporate for Traditional Owners with native title interests and rights in the Beetaloo.

Recommendation 11

5.61
The committee recommends that the Northern Territory Government takes steps to ensure that the perspectives and interests of people working and living in the Beetaloo, including First Nations people and pastoral interests, are respected and upheld throughout the decision-making frameworks for petroleum and environmental approvals.

Recommendation 12

5.74
The committee recommends that the Northern Territory Government increase funding for the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority, to enhance the identification, management and protection of sacred sites (including their sub-surface features) within the Beetaloo Sub-basin.

Recommendation 13

5.75
The committee recommends that the Northern Territory Government strengthen the Northern Territory Aboriginal Sacred Sites Act 1989 (NT) to enable stop work orders where sacred sites are at risk of damage or destruction.

Recommendation 14

5.82
The committee recommends that the Australian Government, in collaboration with the First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance and the Northern Territory Government, as part of the modernisation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage protections, develop a requirement for activity proponents to provide a comprehensive cultural impact assessment for proposed gas production activities.

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Past Public Hearings

10 Oct 2022: Canberra