RE: New aricle explaining Blundy situation8 Aug 2019 17:21
Ms. Lawler's most recent comments made during this week legislative sessions:
QUESTION:
In light of the court action launched against Origin Energy for its plan gas exploration on Amungee Mungee Station, can you advise what discussions you have had with the NT Cattlemen’s Association regarding land access legislation to protect our one-billion-dollar-plus industry? When can we expect land access legislation to be forthcoming to ensure our pastoral industry does not become mired in law suits to protect their functioning businesses?
ANSWER:
We continually speak with all groups about these ever-important matters and issues. It is a critical time in the Territory’s history and we know that we have to diversify and have new industries. I am extremely proud of the work that our government has done in bringing those industries, particularly the onshore industry, into the Northern Territory with world-best regulation. We know that we have accepted the 135 recommendations from the Pepper report. That was done wholeheartedly to make sure that we give Territorians the confidence that this industry will come into the Northern Territory, in the world’s best practice. Part of the systematic way that the report was laid out, was to lay out things in the time frames that they needed to be done. We made sure that we addressed the things that needed to be done for that industry to start safely in the Northern Territory. We understand that there has been an issue at one location, which is an ongoing court matter so I will not discuss that in any detail, about access arrangements. There is legislation that will come into this House later this year, with a defined time line when all of these recommendations, regulations and new pieces of legislation get done. It is very clearly laid out and is a process that we have been working our way through. I am proud of the work we have done to make sure that we do that in the correct sequence, time frame and to give Territorians the assurance they need. There will be legislation that will come to the House in the coming time frames and it was discussed. We are in constant communication with the NT Cattlemen’s Association and will continue to be. We have clearly said, as a government, that the only way that this industry or any other can be successful in the Northern Territory is in conjunction with every other industry. Fishing, farming, agricultural and aquaculture are too important to the Northern Territory for any of them to be put at risk. We encourage all of those players to work closely together and that is part of my role in advocating for all of those parties, trying to mediate with people to sit together and work through things in the best way they can. At times that does not happen and they end up in court, which is unfortunate. We will work our way through that and bring that legislation to the House later in the year.
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