12.11
Progress
25% complete.
Government approval of policy/process development.
That gas companies be required to work closely with all levels of government, Land Councils and local communities early in any onshore shale gas development project to quantify the potential impacts on health and educational services and ensure steps to mitigate adverse impacts are implemented.
Stage 3.
To be completed by end December 2022.
Action item update
Implementation progress
Strategic Regional and Environmental Baseline Assessment (SREBA)
The Framework for Strategic Regional and Environmental Baseline Assessment: A guide to undertaking a SREBA in the Northern Territory was released in July 2020 and can be found here PDF (39.7 MB).
Government has determined a SREBA is required for the Beetaloo sub-Basin. The social, cultural and economic components of the SREBA studies have been recently contracted to the University of Queensland noting the cessation of the original contract with Circle Advisory.
These studies are underway, with the design of the scope of works recommencing in May 2021.
The final scope of works requires approval by an accredited Human Research Ethics Committee and will be presented for the Minister for Environment for approval prior to progressing to studies.
This process of designing the scope of works will inform the next steps for the Studies and Strategic Regional Assessment.
Project-specific Social Impact Assessment (SIA)
The NT EPA is developing guidance for its ‘Communities and Economy’ factor, that will outline how SIA is expected to be undertaken by the regulator when required by legislation.
The NT Government is also developing a project-specific Social Impact Assessment Policy to address this recommendation.
Targeted consultation on the Social Impact Assessment Policy commenced in late 2019, and both draft documents are expected to be released for public consultation in 2021.