By Roxanne Fitzgerald

National Party Senator Matt Canavan’s call that the NT election result is a “mandate” for the development of the onshore gas industry, “with 70 per cent of the vote going to pro gas parties”, has been rubbished by environmental groups.

Mr Canavan took to Twitter following the majority of election results being counted to herald the vote as proof Territorians want fracking to go ahead.

“Once again climate change activists have been shown to have more bark than bite,” he wrote.

His remark was backed by Australia’s oil and gas industry peak body group APPEA, which in a statement congratulated Chief Minister Michael Gunner on forming majority government and tied support to fracking as the basis for the win.

But former Darwin mayor and Protect Country Alliance spokesman Graeme Sawyer says the election was not a “referendum” on fracking.

Mr Sawyer pointed to recent polling by the organisation which showed 86 per cent of Territorians are either opposed or strongly opposed to the development of an onshore gas industry as proof the election was not about fracking.

“It wasn’t a referendum on fracking,” he said, “to say that would be crazy.”

“There is no way an election is ever fought on one single issue.”

Oil and gas industry says NT election has delivered a ‘clear and strong message’

In a statement this week, the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) director for the Northern Territory Keld Knudsen said the election result was a clear indication the community wanted a response to the economic challenges facing the Territory.

“While two minor parties, if elected, threatened to ban hydraulic fracturing and continued onshore gas development, the vast majority of Territorians voted for parties that support the science, evidence and benefits of a well-regulated industry and the long-term economic growth opportunities it provides,” he said.

APPEA says the development of an onshore gas industry would create thousands of jobs in the Territory, billions of dollars of government revenue and deliver a much-needed energy supply for the NT and the rest of the country.

“The industry can play a key and stabilising role in the Territory’s economic recovery by providing jobs, private investment and ultimately an increase in taxes and royalties to the Northern Territory Government,” Mr Knudsen said.

‘Spin from an industry losing its mojo’

Staunch anti-fracker Mr Sawyer said it is “farcical” to base an election result, backdropped by a pandemic, on one issue, highlighting the marginal results between candidates who based their platforms on protecting their local areas from companies drilling for shale gas.

Mr Sawyer pointed to the seat of Katherine, where Territory Alliance candidate Melanie Usher was beat by just over 100 votes, in a division where anti-fracking groups have long lobbied hard against large oil and gas industries.

“Labor got up in Fong Lim because of fracking preferences,” he said.

“The Greens came out with a much larger per cent vote probably because of its anti-fracking stance. From what I am hearing, following the election, people are actually more aware now of the key risks.”

Mr Sawyer labelled the claims by APPEA as “spin” by an industry that is “losing its mojo world wide”.

“The reality is the [Pepper Inquiry’s] 135 recommendations need to be properly implemented and [Chief Minister Michael] Gunner has no hope in hell of doing that.

“If we did the risk assessment today, matched with the evidence from the USA, the peer reviewed science, and the economic impacts we are seeing in Queensland, fracking wouldn’t get the green light.”