Gas
The onshore gas industry in the Northern Territory is highly regulated.
Following the completion of all 135 recommendations from the Hydraulic Fracturing Inquiry’s Final Report, the NT Government has implemented a strong regulatory framework that ensures an onshore petroleum industry will operate to the world’s best practices.
The new framework and operating environment for the gas industry is in line with the stringent safeguards that the Inquiry recommended.
It looks after the environment and ensures greater transparency and accountability, while enabling an industry that will provide jobs in our regions and provide economic benefits for all Territorians.
In addition, a Strategic Regional Environmental and Baseline Assessment (SREBA) has been completed for the Beetaloo region.
This is a comprehensive set of baseline studies of the physical, biological and social environment, which inform good decision making by regulators and allows any impacts from industry development to be monitored and addressed over time.
Petroleum tenure and activities are also subject to legislative requirements under the Commonwealth’s Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 or the Native Title Act 1993, depending on land tenure.
There are other rules and regulations in place that must be complied with in the Northern Territory, and these are governed by the:
Petroleum: onshore
- Petroleum Act 1984
- Petroleum Regulations 2020
- Petroleum (Environment) Regulations 2016
- Petroleum (Transitional) Regulations 2023
Petroleum: NT coastal waters
Pipelines: onshore
- Energy Pipelines Act 1981
- Energy Pipelines Regulations 2001
- National Gas (Northern Territory) Act 2008
Pipelines: NT coastal waters
Geothermal legislation
To find out more about regulation of the onshore gas industry go to: Energy | NT.GOV.AU
To find out more about regulation of offshore gas industry go to: Offshore oil and gas | Department of Industry, Science and Resources