Toxic government-supported fracking disregards First Nations voices

Kowther Qashou explains the dangers of government-supported fracking policies and their intersection with First Nations interests.

Indigenous communities have long been fighting against land exploitation and degradation by the Australian government and large corporations. Indigenous groups are still fighting against fracking, particularly gas exploration projects, much of which occurs on traditional sacred sites. 

But what is fracking? Hydraulic fracturing, ‘fracking’ for short, is a process of inserting pressurised liquids into the ground as a way of extracting oil and gas from the earth. Fracking has long been employed throughout Australia by various fossil fuel industries and is still ongoing today. A 2020 report by the Climate Council named Australia as the world’s largest gas exporter, exporting around 80 million tonnes per year.

As part of his COVID-19 economic recovery plan, Scott Morrison has proposed a gas-led recovery plan. The plan aims to utilise the country’s natural gas resources as an energy supply to boost the economy and create thousands of jobs. This includes unlocking gas basins starting with the Beetaloo Basin in the Northern Territory (NT) and the Galilee and North Bowen basins in Queensland (QLD). 

The gas-led recovery has been widely criticised by environmental groups and Indigenous communities. While the government claims that gas is a ‘better’ alternative to coal as it reduces carbon emissions, gas still releases seven times the amount of carbon emissions compared to renewables, and has long-term impacts on the environment. 

Fracking results in long-term damage to the environment and is a large contributor to climate change. It leads to the creation of wastewater and air pollution through the release of gas compounds. This is particularly an issue in the NT as the state is connected by a singular water table which means if one part of the water system is polluted, it will harm the entire system poisoning drinking water, killing marine life, and infecting natural soil in the process. If implemented, the plan will make pipelines more accessible to mining and energy corporations which will result in further environmental degradation and destruction of land.

Climate experts say that Australia’s environmental laws are not sufficient enough to deal with the consequences of fracking. Laws around fracking itself in Australia vary from state to state. While other states have either banned, restricted, or imposed a moratorium on it, it is still permitted in QLD and the NT. A study by the University of Melbourne has also found that Australia’s methane emissions rate could be underreported, as some of its reported data is out-dated and relies on assumptions rather than measured data.

Indigenous communities, unfortunately, are rarely consulted on projects like this. Native Title laws do not allow Indigenous communities to stop gas development projects. An Inquiry into Fracking in the NT conducted by the state government has outlined several risks fracking poses to Aboriginal sacred sites and water resources and has made several recommendations. Some of these recommendations include ensuring the protection of sacred sites and that Indigenous peoples are always to be consulted on development projects. Communication between the NT Land Council and First Nations People, however, is not always transparent. 

But Indigenous communities continue to pursue the fight. The current campaign ‘Gamil means no’ is a campaign led by Gamilaraay Next Generation against Santos and the new gas project in Narrabri in North Western New South Wales on Gomeroi land. In the Northern Territory, similar campaigns are being led by Seed Mob against fracking on traditional Indigenous lands. 

Another group, Protect Country Alliance - a coalition made up of several groups, including Seed Mob - have been actively protesting the Beetaloo Basin, one of Scott Morrison’s proposed gas basins, due to the risk posed to communities and the environment. 

A new Aboriginal body consisting of Native Title holders known as the Nurrdalinji Native Title Aboriginal Corporation has also been challenging the basin after they expressed environmental concerns. "If fracking does come in, including the 500 wells that they're talking about, it's going to destroy the very life of this land, the land that my ancestors used to walk for 40,000 years," said Native Title holder Samuel Sandy in a comment to the ABC. 

Environmentalism is not an individual issue that exists in a vacuum. Indigenous sovereignty and land rights are deeply intertwined with the environment. Unless we centre Indigenous people, take action and pursue Indigenous justice in our battle against climate change, comprehensive climate justice cannot be achieved.