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The Guardian
29-04-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Leaked document shows two threatened species could be wiped out at Middle Arm development site
Two threatened mammal species could be wiped out at the site of a proposed industrial development on Darwin harbour backed by $1.5bn in federal funding, according to a leaked environmental assessment. Conservation advocates say it shows the controversial Middle Arm industrial project 'shouldn't get past the starting gun based on impacts to nature'. The Middle Arm project is a proposed Northern Territory government development involving the construction of wharves and jetties to be used by industries including liquified natural gas, carbon capture and storage and critical minerals. Part of the draft environmental impact statement (EIS), not publicly released but seen by Guardian Australia, found the development would likely significantly affect several species, including the black-footed tree-rat – a nocturnal rodent that dens in tree hollows – and the northern brushtail possum. Both species, which are recognised by the government as at risk of extinction, live in woodlands in the proposed development area. The assessment found the potential clearing of more than 1,000 hectares could lead to the tree-rat losing 78% and the brushtail possum 70% of their habitat on the peninsula. Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter It said this would 'likely lead to there being no black-footed tree-rats on Middle Arm peninsula' and that 'if the entire development area is cleared the remaining suitable habitat will be so patchy and fragmented that black-footed tree-rats are unlikely to persist on Middle Arm peninsula'. The draft assessment made the same analysis for the northern brushtail possum and stated the decrease in available habitat would likely lead to an overall decline in both species. It found a total of 1,22o hectares of clearing was proposed for the Middle Arm development. If the project goes ahead, the Middle Arm peninsula is expected to also lose: 70% of its old growth woodlands, which provide habitat for threatened fauna; 28% of its rainforest; 61% of its seasonal wetlands; and 12.46% of saltpan roosting habitat for the critically endangered far eastern curlew, according to the draft assessment. 'It's pretty gobsmacking in terms of the impacts on nature,' said Kirsty Howey, the executive director of the Environment Centre NT. The environment group called on both major parties to divert the promised Middle Arm subsidy to other proposals in the NT. 'This is the kind of project that shouldn't get past the starting gun based on impacts to nature,' Howey said. 'What this EIS reveals is that Middle Arm is an ecologically significant hotspot with really important, sensitive vegetation that should be protected.' A Labor campaign spokesperson said that with environmental impact studies ongoing, the federal government was 'yet to provide any approvals' and was 'committed to working with the NT government … and the community to ensure the necessary assessments take place before the project proceeds'. Sign up to Afternoon Update: Election 2025 Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key election campaign stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The proposed development would 'support the manufacture and export of a range of industries critical to net zero' and 'provide significant economic benefits and an estimated 20,000 jobs in the Territory', the Labor spokesperson said. A spokesperson for the NT CLP government said the draft assessment was not yet finalised or submitted and the project 'continues to be refined based on scientific evidence'. They said the government was committed to ensuring the development was 'subject to the highest level of environmental scrutiny through the strategic environmental assessment process', and was working to avoid or minimise impacts wherever possible. 'Again, it is premature to make final judgments,' they said. 'Any final proposal will be independently assessed by the NT EPA and must meet rigorous environmental standards before any decision on progression is made.' But Phil Scott, an independent candidate in the seat of Solomon, said 'both levels of government have underestimated community anger about yet another project in the NT with significant impacts on native and migratory species, a raft of other problems and poor community consultation'. Euan Ritchie, a professor of wildlife ecology and conservation at Deakin University, said destroying most of the available habitat for northern brushtail possums and black-footed tree-rats at Middle Arm would 'substantially increase the likelihood of these threatened species' local extinctions at the site'. 'And more broadly, it could also lead to a significant loss of genetic diversity of these species in the Darwin region,' he said. The Coalition's environment spokesperson, Jonno Duniam, said while the Coalition had not seen the draft report, 'our longstanding view is that the Middle Arm precinct is incredibly important for the Northern Territory and Australia as a whole'. He said various Coalition and Labor territory and federal governments had 'worked closely together for years in order to ensure that environmental considerations have been paramount' throughout that planning process.
ABC News
22-04-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Santos's $5.6 billion Barossa project wins final approvals from regulator NOPSEMA
Santos's offshore Barossa gas project off the coast of the Northern Territory has won final approvals from the national offshore gas regulator. The $5.6 billion project involves drilling for gas under the Timor Sea, about 300 kilometres north of Darwin, to export as LNG to overseas buyers such as South Korea and Japan. Federal offshore gas regulator NOPSEMA on Tuesday accepted Santos's final environment plan for its production operations, clearing the way for the Barossa project to go ahead following multiple legal challenges. The project attracted national attention last year when a Separately, a successful legal case run by the EDO on behalf of Tiwi Islands traditional owners in 2022 led to a Photo shows a woman uses a pencil to draw on a colourful map Newly released videos show evidence involving "confection" used by the EDO in its failed legal bid to halt Santos's Barossa gas pipeline. Santos's Barossa project is one of Australia's largest oil and gas investments in a decade — and is expected to be among the worst polluting in the world. Reports have previously estimated the reservoir's Santos's own project documents suggest the Barossa project could produce 15.2 million tonnes of climate pollution per year — a total of 380 million tonnes during its 25-year life span. Barossa gas is expected to be shipped to overseas buyers as LNG. ( ABC News: Michael Franchi ) Critics question how Barossa project will comply with Labor climate policy Kirsty Howey, executive director of Environment Centre NT, described Santos's Barossa project as "one of the dirtiest gas fields in Australia". "It's unfathomable that it's been approved in 2025 when the climate science is clear that we can't have new fossil fuel projects if we're going to avoid dangerous climate change," she said. In a statement, a Labor campaign spokesperson confirmed the project was still subject to the safeguard mechanism, which requires major carbon emitters to progressively reduce or offset their emissions over time. The policy is a key plank of the Albanese government's efforts to reach a 43 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030, and net zero by 2050. Some Tiwi Islands elders have voiced opposition to the project. ( (ABC News: Tristan Hooft ) But Ms Howey said the Barossa project's approval showed "the safeguard mechanism has done very little to stem the flow of fossil fuel approvals". "This approval in the middle of an election campaign just goes to show the failure of climate policy in Australia to ensure the necessary phase out of fossil fuels," she said. Climate Council analyst Ben McLeod said the decision was "completely at odds with all our other efforts to cut climate pollution". "This project is set to become one of the most carbon-intensive gas developments in the world," Mr McLeod said. A Labor campaign spokesperson said the project's final approval was made separately to government. "Technical regulatory decisions for offshore resources projects in Commonwealth waters are a matter for the independent expert regulator NOPSEMA," they said. "The Albanese Labor government is working to put downward pressure on energy prices and emissions after a decade of delay, dysfunction and denial." A Santos spokesperson said the Barossa project remained on track for first gas in the third quarter of 2025. They did not answer how the project would comply with Australia's safeguard mechanism.
