Thread by @Tom_Swann

Report just dropped, into the Beetaloo gas grants scheme and the #RortFiredRecovery. Rolling thread as I work through it parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/downl…

This report is a majority report, backed by the Labor and Greens Senators.

Straight off the bat:

If gas companies getting subsidies for exploration go on to make a lot of money, they should have to pay the subsidies back.

The inquiry heard fierce opposition from Traditional Owners who said they had not given free, prior and informed consent - and the committee wants it looked at

Committee also wants the commonwealth and NT govts to do what they said they would do on fracking emissions NOW, not procrastinating another three years

a decent image for context

Prof Ian Lowe puts the scale of this gas resource in context. If it gets subsidised open with enough public money, it could be catastrophically large

🔥

I wonder if the PM regrets stacking his COVID Commission with gas people at the beginning of a multi year pandemic instead of focusing on vaccine procurement and the actual pandemic

The Liberal led scrutiny committee thinks this is another dodgy energy regulation. Minister has had only a couple of months to respond, I'm sure he'll get around to it.

One of the grant assessors (the one from the NT govt) originally said Empire Energy was not eligible. So what happened?

The report has a good summary of the companies with titles in the Basin, for future reference

Inquiries often turn up things that are apparently common practice, but are pretty wild.

Apparently it is normal to ask people to apply for grants before those grants are even legal under law.

Inquiries often turn up things that are apparently common practice, but are pretty wild. Apparently it is normal to ask people to apply for grants before those grants are even legal under law.

The report notes the conflicts of interest involved in a multimillion dollar grant to a company with multiple deep Liberal party connections.

In the period that the company was lobbying Angus Taylor, applying for, and then getting this grant, the largest shareholder, a Liberal party heavyweight and donor, and billionaire, was increasing his stake in the company.

How the gas company paid junket to the Beetaloo Basin ended up being Taylor, his head fundraiser, and a bunch of other Liberal party people

The committee finds "no evidence" that DISER has made any effort to ensure the Beetaloo gas grant program is not being rorted

#RortFiredRecovery

Let that sink in - an ALP backed inquiry finds the program looks rorted, but today the ALP has also decided to oppose efforts to stop the rort.

The NT promised traditional owner consultation would be done independently.

Turns out it is being done by the gas industry, via its capture of CISRO (an alliance called 'GISERA' funded and steered by discretionary involvement of the gas industry)

the former mayor of darwin says the baseline studies are being done under pressure in a timeframe that means they wont be able to do it properly

consultation body suppose to oversea the implementation of fracking regulation in NT has been shut down

Again - one of the grant assessors said it wasn't eligible, but it got the money anyway, and we still don;t know why

thread continues

later in the report the committee is concerned about how the grant was deemed ineligible by one of the assessors and the lack of info about why

This is pretty bloody clear

and on - the committee finds the beetaloo grant program was 'highly flawed'

Doesn't the NT need fracking to help bail it out?

Recent experience suggests the opposite. Gas delivers few all jobs and the small royalties are eroded by large subsidies.

Beetaloo Basin gas is being lined up for export - even the domestic gas supply argument is nonsense.

And we don't need it because the best fuel is the fuel we don't need to use because we can electrify more cheaply

Numerous studies, including those commissioned by govts, show the Beetaloo Basin is likely to be a very expensive source of gas - unless it is very heavily subsidised, or unless they find oil, which the regulations are not being designed for

ALP and Greens claim subsidies in the Beetaloo basin "will bring few jobs, little tax, and will continue to be a drain on Australian taxpayers for decades to come."

The inquiry heard powerful and at times distressing evidence from traditional owners who do not want fracking on their country

The inquiry heard a LOT of evidence about traditional owner consultation that was inappropriate, inadequate or completely absent

Many of the TOs wanted the $50 million to go to other social purposes, and not subsidise fracking companies

There were very high levels of distrust of gas company claims

The committee finds that TO concerns are being ignored

"The committee is not convinced that all Traditional Owners and Native Title holders in the Beetaloo have
provided Free, Prior and Informed Consent to petroleum activities on Country"