The Senate environment and communications references committee commenced an inquiry in June 2021 into oil and gas exploration and production in the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo basin. It is a gas-rich region the Coalition government has wanted to open up as part of its “gas-led recovery”, with licenses and taxpayer-funded grantsEnvironmental groups have slammed the plan, raising concerns about the impact of fracking on the landscape and calling it a “carbon bomb”.
The committee report said an invitation to appear at a 22 March hearing was sent to Tamboran on 1 March, but the company’s chief executive Joel Riddle responded that he wouldn’t be able to appear. “Many companies and individuals have not attended various parliamentary committee hearings in the past despite having been invited to do so,” Riddle wrote, according to the correspondence.The committee said it did not received a response, and Tamboran did not attend that hearing. Hanson-Young called it “unacceptable” that Tamboran had “refused” to attend the committee, sharing her “strong dissatisfaction” and claiming the actions may constitute contempt of the Senate.
In a statement on Wednesday, a Tamboran spokesperson said the company was “limited” in what it could respond publicly, “given this is a matter which is in the process of being considered by the Committee and potentially the Senate”.