NT government tells Senate inquiry Middle Arm precinct may include petrochemicals
Hundreds of NT residents, including Darwin mum Bridget, attended a rally against Middle Arm. (ABC News: Jane Bardon)
The Senate inquiry probing $1.5 billion in federal funding promised to a Northern Territory gas processing precinct has been labelled a "circus" airing mostly green views, but a hearing in Darwin this week has produced new information and admissions.
NT Chief Minister Eva Lawler told the inquiry on Thursday her government hoped the planned precinct at Middle Arm on Darwin Harbour would host gas production, carbon capture and storage, minerals processing and hydrogen production.
But under questioning from independent Senator David Pocock, she conceded it could include petrochemicals processing — something the NT and Albanese Governments had previously denied.
"I won't rule it out," Ms Lawler said.
NT Chief Minister Eva Lawler mounted an economic defence of the Middle Arm project. (ABC News: Jane Bardon)
NT Chief Health Officer Christine Connors told the inquiry there could be air pollution risks from industrial processing at the site.
"There's absolutely a risk of harm from a range of different industries," she said.
Ms Lawler told the committee her government "would do nothing to jeopardise the health of Territorians".
The inquiry also heard from doctors and nurses who said they were worried about the impacts of air pollution.
"I don't think the government is taking these health impacts seriously," paediatrician Louise Woodward said.
"Every new project increases the concentration of chemicals which increase the risk of asthma attacks and worsen chronic disease."
Doctors and nurses are worried about air pollution and other impacts from the project. (ABC News: Jane Bardon)
Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe questioned why the NT government was going ahead with its Middle Arm plans before gaining "free, prior and informed consent from the nine Larrakia families", despite its statement commitment to Indigenous consent principles.
"That work is ongoing," Ms Lawler replied, adding that the Middle Arm site was not covered by Indigenous native title claims.
Noisy protests from public gallery
Hundreds of NT residents attended a rally opposing the Middle Arm development and the Senate hearing.
"We're really worried about the climate and Darwin becoming unliveable," young mum Bridget said.
Committee chairwoman and Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young told the rally the Darwin community deserved to know "just how toxic this gas hub will be".
There were loud protests from the public gallery when Ms Lawler made her key economic argument for the project, which they expect to generate up to $500 million a year in NT revenue and $2.4 billion a year for the Commonwealth.
"You can't complain about wait times at a hospital, or funding for education, if you don't support Middle Arm," Ms Lawler said.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson Young hopes the Albanese government will listen to community concerns. (ABC News: Jane Bardon)
The NT Environment Centre's Kirsty Howey presented the Senate committee with the findings of a draft social impact study report commissioned by the NT Infrastructure Department.
The report, seen by the ABC, found numerous health, environment and climate change concerns should be considered by the two governments as either medium or high risk.
On the Darwin Harbour's environment, the report said: "Risks are heightened by the diffuse sources of additive impacts and the likely scale and duration of dredging and shipping".
"Progressive growth compounds the cumulative risk of species loss and compromises the harbour's ecological values," it said.
Ms Howey said she did not understand how $1.5 billion of taxpayers money had been committed to the project "when there is no certainty about it, its impacts, or even what it is".
The NT Environment Centre's Kirsty Howey has called on the Albanese government to drop the project. (ABC News: Jane Bardon)
Concerns for wildlife
Scientists studying harbour wildlife, including shorebird expert Amanda Lilleyman, raised a series of concerns.
"The biggest concern is impacts to the far eastern curlew, if we keep chipping away at the intertidal coastal zone then we're removing habitat for critically endangered migratory species," she said.
Ornithologist Amanda Lillyman has told the inquiry the Middle Arm development will reduce shorebird populations. (ABC News: Jane Bardon)
Marine scientist Carol Palmer told the inquiry Darwin harbour industrialisation had already reduced dolphin numbers significantly.
"We now are going to see more and more decline, because of all the dredging, the loss of underwater habitats and the number of ships," she said.
Marine scientist Carol Palmer is among those worried about the Middle Arm project. (ABC News: Jane Bardon)
Chris Naden, who runs cruises on the Darwin Harbour, told the inquiry fewer marine animals would be bad for business.
"People always ask me are we going to see any turtles, dolphins out in the harbour," he said.
"I believe this project will be really poor for the environment, Darwin Harbour and businesses that operate around the harbour."
Streeter Cruises business owner Chris Naden expects the development will reduce dolphin and dugong numbers further. (ABC News: Pete Garnish)
Some NT community groups were surprised they were not invited for questioning.
In its submission to the inquiry, the Amateur Fishermen's Association of the NT expressed alarm about the impact dredging for the Middle Arm shipping channel would have on fish habitats.
The submission also said that access to the Elizabeth River would be mostly blocked by new gas ship jetties.
AFANT's chief executive David Ciaravolo is calling on both the NT and federal governments to consider using Darwin's existing port facilities for Middle Arm "because once the dredging is done it can't be undone".
David Ciaravolo from the Amateur Fishermen's Association wants dredging of another shipping channel avoided. (ABC News: Jane Bardon)
'More of a circus than Senate inquiry'
The gas industry's peak body, Australian Energy Producers, and Middle Arm anchor tenant and fracking company Tamboran Resources, questioned why they weren't called to give evidence.
Coalition senators also accused Greens committee members of inviting mostly critics to try to torpedo the project.
"This whole process so far has been more of a circus than I would suggest its been a senate inquiry," NT Coalition Senator Jacinta Price said.
The Greens said "a number gas companies" were asked to give evidence at the Darwin hearings "and declined", and that they would be invited to the inquiry's Canberra hearings, which were yet to be scheduled.
The inquiry is due to report in August.
Hundreds filed into the Senate inquiry after attending the rally. (ABC News: Jane Bardon)