LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Sir – The Katherine Town Council has sought Defence Department assistance with its efforts to have the NT Government declare a moratorium on fracking covering the entire Tindal aquifer region.
The council is concerned that the horizontal fracturing (fracking) process may contaminate the Tindal aquifer.
Based on experience gained elsewhere in Australia and in many overseas countries where moratoriums have been implemented, the council’s concern is quite justified.
Katherine draws all of its water from the Katherine River and the Tindal aquifer. Bore-water from the aquifer is used to supplement the town’s water supply.
In the drier months of the year, water from the aquifer keeps the river flowing.
Tindal RAAF Base draws all of its water from Katherine’s water supply. If the town’s water is contaminated, so also will be Tindal’s.
The Defence Department has spent the best part of a billion dollars at Tindal in recent years and appears to be intent on spending much more in future on a base that is of major importance for Australia’s northern defences.
It is absolutely essential for any military installation in a remote part of the country to have a clean water supply.
For the Defence Department to spend billions of dollars on a base while knowing that the only water in the region may be contaminated would be similar to building submarines for the Navy, tanks for the Army or aircraft for the RAAF if it is known beforehand that there is a major flaw in their design.
While it is generally recognised that the NT Government will ignore local residents and the council’s requests for a moratorium, it is hopeful that the government will bend over backwards to appease a Commonwealth Government department, a department that contributes very heavily to the economy of the NT.
Bruce Francais
Katherine