Gas company Tamboran Resources have locked a gate on Tanumbirini Station, preventing station owners and Traditional Custodians from inspecting sacred Aboriginal sites before fracking work begins.
Tamboran's subsidiary, Sweetpea Petroleum, had previously notified the cattle station's owners, Rallen Australia, that seismic activities will commence on the site starting Friday, June 24.
Tamboran's work will involve bulldozing vegetation and a culturally significant waterhole to repurpose the natural gas corridor to build an access road across Newcastle Creek to facilitate their exploratory fracking activities.
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Traditional owners fear the gas company's work on the station will harm the environment and destroy sacred Aboriginal sites.
Tamboran Resources have rejected allegations of wrongdoing saying they have worked closely with all stakeholders including Traditional Owners recognised by the Northern Land Council.
Sacred sites at risk
Traditional owners from the Beetaloo Basin were at the cattle station to inspect the sacred site area of Newcastle Creek which is protected under the Northern Territory Sacred Sites Act to prevent damage and trespassing.
Chair of the Nurrdalinji Aboriginal Corporation for the area Johnny Wilson said he has been locked out from his sacred land.
"I can't even go in to see my sacred sites, the country where they're going to work on Newcastle Creek, the cultural heritage, our songlines, our dreaming. We can't see all that, because the gate's locked," Mr Wilson said.
Newcastle Creek is a significant songline that runs across Tanumbirini Station. According to testimony put forward by local Aboriginal groups to the NT Fracking Inquiry, the creek has cultural significance.
"According to Aboriginal tradition, the aquifers underlying country which may give rise to springs and other naturally occurring water sources can be associated with the travels of ancestral beings and link neighbouring Aboriginal groups, connecting people across the landscape," the NT Fracking Inquiry final report read.
"These songs link people with sites in the landscape and require that a broader group of Traditional Owners and custodians be consulted, not just the group associated with the land directly above the areas proposed for any shale gas wells."
Mr Wilson said he is concerned for the safety of his cultural heritage.
"Our hearts bleed knowing that our country and all that we stand for will be destroyed," he said.
"What more evidence do you need, as my people, my clan can clearly now see that Sweetpea will destroy everything we stand for?"
Mr Wilson has called on Sweetpea to pause works on the station until a meeting with traditional owners and authorities occurs.
Tamboran Managing Director and CEO Joel Riddle rejected Mr Wilson's credibility on the issue saying the copmany had worked closely with Traditional Owners recognised by the National Land Council (NCL) to protect sacred sites.
"The Nurrdalinji Aboriginal Corporation (NAC) are not recognised as Native Title Holders for this area by either the NLC or AAPA," said Mr Riddle.
"Traditional Owners recognised by the Northern Land Council (NLC) have been on the record in the National Indigenous Times announcing support for development of the Beetaloo Basin," he said.
The NAC are being supported and publicised by foreign-owned pastoral leaseholder, Rallen Australia, in an attempt to frustrate approved exploration work in the Northern Territory and further restrict supply of new gas into the Australian energy market."
Owners dispute legality
Sweetpea have an exploration permit covering parts of Tanumbirini, however Tanumbirini Station owner and Rallen Australia Director Pierre Langenhoven alleged that the company crossed the boundary line for which their permit grants them access.
"Sweetpea has locked us out of our own property," said Mr Langenhoven.
"This is at the boundary line of our station, it's not even within the permit area in which Sweetpea is allowed to conduct exploratory works. We don't believe they have a right to do this."
Tamboran Resources have disputed the claims made by Mr Langenhoven saying Sweetpea hold a valid Authority Certificate (AC) from the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority (AAPA) of Northern Territory.
"Sweetpea will comply with all conditions of the AC and will not undertake works that are prohibited within any relevant restricted work area," said Tamboran CEO Joel Riddle.
"The AAPA are the only legitimate body able to declare sacred sites and issue an AC under NT law," he said.
"The Nurrdalinji Aboriginal Corporation (NAC) are not recognised as Native Title Holders for this area by either the Northern Land Council or AAPA."
Mr Riddle defended their right to lock the gates at Tanumbirini citing safety measures as a result of their ongoing activities on the site.
"Given the parties on site today were attempting to access a site where activities are taking place, outside of registered sacred sites and without prior notice, access has been restricted," he said.
Tanumbirini Station owners Rallen Australia have been considering their legal options.
The events at Tanumbirini followed a hearing in the Supreme Court where Rallen appealed a decision that allowed fracking exploration to go ahead on the Tanumbirini Station.
Sweetpea are the first company to force access without pastoralist consent since the start of the Northern Territory's Petroleum Regulations earlier this year, which were designed to protect landowners in negotiations with petroleum companies over land access and compensation.
Rallen Australia are currently in legal dispute with two other major gas companies, Santos and Origin, over exploration rights to its Tanumbirini station.
