Wednesday 22 October: Doctors, scientists, community leaders and more than 100 shareholders have joined with Market Forces demanding APA Group ends its plans to build two of Australia’s biggest ever pipelines enabling dangerous gas fracking in the Northern Territory.
The concerned scientists, doctors and shareholders are calling on APA at its annual general meeting today in Sydney, to come clean by outlining how building the gas pipelines is aligned with global climate goals.
APA also faces the first ever shareholder resolution at an Australian gas infrastructure company demanding it discloses due diligence on its partner companies, Beetaloo Energy and Tamboran Resources, that are fracking in the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo Basin after a raft of environmental and community incidents.
Four of the world’s leading investors – including the AU$463.8 billion New York City Pension Fund, AU$904 billion CalPERS, California’s public sector fund, Norway’s biggest pension fund, AU$139.3 billion KLP and largest asset manager, AU$183.5 billion Storebrand – have backed the Market Forces shareholder resolutions, calling on APA to disclose on due diligence and climate risks.
Angelica Mantikas, Gas Campaign Lead, Market Forces said:
“APA must be transparent about its due diligence on these questionable fracking partners and how its pipelines enabling gas expansion could in any way be aligned with global climate goals.”
“Most of this gas would be exported, but it’s driving dangerous global warming for all Australians. Pipelines that enable Beetaloo fracking undermines our climate commitments.”
Lesley Hughes, climate change scientist, Emerita Professor of Biology, said:
“Fracking Beetaloo is a climate catastrophe that will worsen global warming, cause more deaths and place our environment, wildlife and economy in extreme danger.”
Professor Ian Wright, Water and Environmental Scientist said:
“The Beetaloo Basin gas industry is environmentally, ecologically and culturally toxic. The area is highly fragile and the likely impacts will probably be very long-lasting. This is the wrong industry in the wrong location.”
“My research has uncovered highly contaminated waste water being emitted from Beetaloo Basin gas drilling sites.“
“Gas fracking causes very dangerous concentrations of a wide range of water pollutants., posing unacceptable risks to the local environment, native species, local agricultural industries and to the lands of Traditional Owners.“
Shale gas fracking is a risky process imported to Australia from the United States by companies including Beetaloo Energy (formerly Empire Energy) and Tamboran Resources. The environmental and health dangers of fracking have led to it being banned in 15 countries globally, as well as in Victoria, Tasmania and most of Western Australia.
Dr Louise Woodward, Darwin-based paediatrician said:
“APA is enabling a highly toxic industry that is harmful to human health. APA’s pipelines are sacrificing the people of the Northern Territory in order to enrich the pockets of a few gas company executives.”
“Health impacts of fracking are serious for children and pregnant women including asthma, stillbirths, birth defects, and childhood cancer such as leukaemia for those living near oil and gas operations.”
“There’s an area near New Orleans in the United States, known as ‘Cancer Alley’, which is home to hundreds of gas and petrochemical plants exposing residents to toxic air pollution which has resulted in cancer rates 40% higher than the general population.”
Des Barritt, Northern Territory tourism enterprise owner and landowner said:
“Almost 100% are opposed to fracking, we all believe there’s too much risk involved for our livelihoods. We all love the river here, there’s too many risks we believe around Mataranka.”
“There’s just too many risks to our environment, which is essential to us.”
Megan Pickering, Northern Territory landowner and Katherine community member said:
“Local communities here are horrified that our water faces contamination from this toxic fracking and APA must come clean.”
“The disregard for our concerns around risks to people, property and the environment is devastating.”
Andrew Pickering, Northern Territory landowner, said:
“There’s outrage in the Katherine and Mataranka communities of the Northern Territory at the neglect of adequate community consultation around dangerous fracking developments and pipelines that will carve up our lands, drain aquifers and potentially turn the NT into a climate change sacrifice zone.”
For media inquiries and interviews, contact:
Antony Balmain, +61-423-253-477, [email protected]
Please see the Market Forces APA investor briefing here.
Market Forces is a clean energy finance advocacy organisation