Celebrate our Seas
Let's celebrate our seas! In response to a joint media statement by Environment Centre NT, Australian Marine Conservation Society and Protect Arnhem Land, the Chief Minister has confirmed in a media statement that he will be extending the moratorium on seabed mining for another 3 years!
Send him an email now to congratulate him chief.minister@nt.gov.au
We will continue to work with our members and partners to raise awareness of other critical threats to our seas, such as oil and gas exploration, as well as the government's proposed 'dirty' port at Glyde Point and proposed 'Nightcliff Island' development.
More information available here.
New Give Now site launched
Donating to the Environment Centre has never been easier with the launch of our Give Now website.
Help us raise $100,000 to buffer the impact of total funding operational cuts by governments.
Click the button to find out why we need your help to maintain the voice of the Territory's environment!
Fracking inquiry report released
On February 26, the NT Government finally released the long-awaited report by the independent inquiry into hydraulic fracking.
The report identifies critical inconsistencies and gaps in the NT regulatory framework to protect the environment from the impacts of fracking - but has suggested that forming a Cabinet Sub-Committee will suffice to 'set the standard for a best practice regulatory regime' and goes outside its Terms of Reference to state that a moratorium on fracking is 'unneccessary'.
In a joint statement by the Environment Centre NT and Arid Lands Environment Centre, Anna Boustead said: “We welcome the long-awaited release of this critical independent report and look forward to examining its findings. As outlined in our original submission, we reiterate that it is inappropriate and nonsensical for the NT Government to support further shale gas ‘fracking’ development at least until the report’s recommendations have been put into place.”
"The NT Government has a clear pro-oil and gas agenda. It has run taxpayer-funded advertisements openly promoting the oil and gas industry and just last week, the Chief Minister made a curious statement promoting an application by Inpex to conduct exploration for shale gas over the Daly Waters region, before Native Title owners had been consulted, or due process had been followed to approve it. We have no confidence that this proposed 'Sub-Committee' would give proper consideration to environmental risks or damage."
Have Your Say now on the NT Government's Guiding Principles for shale gas 'fracking'
Fukushima: Four Years On
March 11 marked four years since the triple nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi reactors in Japan caused heartache and devastation across the country. Since that time over 150,000 people remain displace, and clean up and recovery efforts have cost over $30 billion, with many communities too contaminated by radioactive fallout for residents to every return home.
To mark the day PeaceBoat, an organisation the Environment Centre NT co-hosted last year's national speaking tour with former-Prime Minister of Japan Naoto Kan, launched a multi-lingual book with an overview of the ongoing disaster and its impacts from the perspective of the local community.
The booklet can be downloaded as a PDF here: fukushimalessons.jp/en-booklet.html
Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation also released a statement expressing Mirarr Traditional Owners continuing sadness that uranium dug up on their country from Ranger uranium mine has become nuclear fallout in Japan.
Mirarr Traditional Owners hosted a visit by former Prime Minister Kan during last year's Facing the Fallout tour, to show and discuss the impacts of uranium mining at Ranger. Mr Kan was Prime Minister of Japan when the Fukushima reactors failed and, though previously a supporter of nuclear power, is now a passionate advocate for safe renewable energy sources and was instrumental in a large scale solar and wind power roll-out in Japan following the disaster.
See the full statement here.
Free Home Energy Checks for Low-income Earners
With close to 200 homes already booked in and works underway to deliver fully-funded energy retrofits,, Darwin and Palmerston residents are encouraged to contact the COOLmob Smart Cooling in the Tropics team to check their eligibility for assistance.
Eligible householders will be provided with a free home energy audits and complimentary services and products to reduce their energy use.
Contact the COOLmob team at smartcooling@ecnt.org to check your eligibility for assistance.
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