Independent Officer
This fact sheet supports the implementation of the recommendations from the Final Report of the Scientific Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracturing in the Northern Territory.
Increasing Transparency and Accountability
Dr David Ritchie has been appointed the Independent Officer to oversee the implementation of the recommendations. Dr Ritchie was a member of the Inquiry Panel that consulted widely with the Northern Territory community to hear their views on hydraulic fracturing.
The role of the Independent Officer is to provide the Chief Minister and government with independent advice on how the implementation is progressing and being managed. The nature of this role requires the Independent Officer to remain at arms-length from day-to-day decisions and processes relating to implementation.
The role of the officer is to:
- oversee the adequacy of implementation actions in line with the intent and spirit of the Inquiry recommendations
- report directly to the Chief Minister and Cabinet quarterly
- provide advice and guidance to the Implementation Team, agency CEOs and others as required and appropriate
- have authority to request information and provide advice directly to agency CEOs.
Implementation of the recommendations requires careful management and coordination. The appointment of the Independent Officer to oversee the implementation of the recommendations from the Inquiry is an additional way to ensure increased transparency and accountability of the implementation process, outside normal government reporting systems.
Contact the Independent Officer
Contact the Independent Officer by email Hydraulicfracturing.Independentoversight@nt.gov.au