Comms Declare has made a complaint to Ad Standards, alleging that the Northern Territory’s advertising campaign for the Beetaloo gas development is deceptive and misleading.
The campaign webpage, YouTube video and digital ads make claims that fracked gas from the Beetaloo Basin will be good for Australia’s future and will provide “low emissions energy”.
The advertising materials omit the key point that developing the Beetaloo basin will create 1.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over 25 years to 2050. When included with transport, Climate Analytics found 25 years of emissions from the project and its associated LNG plant in Darwin would be more than three times the entire country’s emissions in 2021.
Higher temperatures caused by climate change are already harming the people of the Northern Territory, and parts will possibly be unlivable within 40 years.
Comms Declare submitted that the “future” references falsely create the impression that a vast increase in domestic gas extraction is good for the future environment when the International Energy Agency has shown we have to slash demand for fossil fuels 25% by 2030 and 80% by 2050 to keep heating under 1.5°C and limit the worst effects of climate change.
In addition, Comms Declare’s claim says the Government provides no evidence that the gas will be affordable, reliable or low emissions. In fact, the project could cost taxpayers $75 million. The extent of gas under the earth is not guaranteed and is only ‘potential’ according to the NT governments’ own website. There’s no proof that Beetaloo gas is low emissions and it is unable to be offset as the offsets required would take up to 2.9 million hectares, 12 times the size of the Australian Capital Territory, according to Climate Analytics.
The Beetaloo Territory Gas-Complaint
Comms Declare has previously lodged a successful complaint against the South Australian Government for claiming gas is “clean” on its buses.