“No water no life!” Environmentalists Take US gas giant to court over Northern Territory project.

Environmental group Lock the Gate Alliance is taking on US gas company Tamboran over its fracking plans in the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo Basin.

At the centre of the case is the Shenandoah South project - 15 new gas wells about 600 kilometres south of Darwin. The NT Government approved the project in June 2024, but Lock the Gate argues it should have triggered federal review due to the amount of water it will extract: 375 million litres a year.

The “water trigger” is part of Australia’s national environmental law. It requires large coal or coal seam gas projects that could significantly affect water resources to be referred to the federal Environment Minister for independent assessment.

In 2023, the trigger was updated to include unconventional gas projects - like this one.

But Tamboran hasn’t referred the project for assessment, and the federal government hasn’t stepped in either.

We understand there are no active referrals or assessments for this project with the department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. 

Georgina Woods, head of research and investigations at Lock the Gate, says the group stepped in because the potential damage is too great to ignore.

“Water is life up there. We are very concerned about the potential of the project to significantly impact groundwater resources through contamination,” she said. 

The Beetaloo sits atop the Gum Ridge aquifer - a major water source for the NT. Woods says the risk to such an essential resource should have been enough to trigger federal review.

According to Lock the Gate Alliance Tamboran has already started drilling two of the 25 approved wells. Woods says the group is seeking an injunction to halt further work while the legal process plays out.

“These proceedings need to move in a timely manner. We believe this fracking pilot is likely to have a significant impact on groundwater.”

Woods stressed the inherent risk of shale gas fracking - which involves drilling several kilometres underground and blasting a mix of water, chemicals, and sand to release gas.

The gas is then sold to the Northern territory government for electricity generation. 

“It’s an inherently risky activity, and does carry the risk of contamination of groundwater sources. That’s why we’ve taken this case.”

The case comes just weeks after Environment Minister Murray Watt approved the North West Shelf Gas project extension - a decision that required him to consider the potential impacts of extending the life of the plant on the national heritage values of nearby ancient rock art.

When asked if she was concerned that even if the water trigger is considered the project could still go ahead, Woods said “We’re at square one here. All we’re asking for is for the law to be applied - for there to be an assessment.”

The case will run for four days this week and return for a final hearing in August. 

Lock the Gate hopes the court will force the project to be referred for federal environmental assessment - a test of the water trigger’s expanded powers, and the government’s willingness to enforce them.