Traditional Owners and environmental activists have rejected the NT government's assertion that the more than 100 recommendations necessary to approve fracking in the Beetaloo Basin have been implemented.
It comes after the territory's chief minister, Natasha Fyles, announced that fracking of the basin, which lies 500 kilometres south of Darwin and covers 2.8 million hectares, had been approved.
A 2018 inquiry found that the environmental risks associated with the projects could be ameliorated by the implementation of 135 recommendations.
Traditional Owner and Jungai (cultural lawman) at Lightning Ridge Johnny Wilson repudiated Ms Fyles' claim that the recommendations from the so-called Pepper Inquiry had all been acted upon.
"That's not true," he told NITV.
"[Several] of these recommendations have not been implemented properly... I'm very disappointed."
Ms Fyles on Wednesday stressed that Traditional Owners have a veto over individual projects.
However Mr Wilson rejected that characterisation, and said the initial approval given by his Elders was granted under false pretences.
"Justice Pepper made this clear in his report that native title holders only have this right [of veto] at the exploration stage, not the production stage.
"When our Old People said yes many years ago, they had no idea of the many thousands of wells we are looking at now. My people were told a couple of holes the size of Billy cans, that was it."
Mr Wilson said the projects also flew in the face of a recommendation from a separate Senate committee last month for greater consultation with locals.
"We have not been consulted properly by the gas companies [or] by the Northern Territory Government.
"Our people have not been told the real and full impact of what hydraulic fracturing can do to our Country: destroy our sacred sites, destroy our Country, cultural heritage and destroy our future."
Environment groups repudiate govt
Speaking to press on Wednesday, Ms Fyles asserted that her government had abided by the recommendations of the Pepper Inquiry.
"We have strengthened government agencies, we have strengthened legislation to rigorously assess environmental management plans," she told reporters.
"We have put in place the plans to develop a strong compliance program and we have also got the measures to provide education and guidance to industry.
"The territory government will move carefully to manage the onshore gas industry through our strengthened regulatory framework, ensuring greater transparency and accountability and ensuring that traditional owners, Aboriginal people, have a seat at the table."
However, the Environmental Defenders Office backed Mr Wilson's claims rejecting the government's assertions.
"The government made a promise that it wouldn't detonate the carbon bomb in the Beetaloo unless every single fracking Inquiry recommendation was implemented," special counsel Alina Leikin said.
"Our work shows the NT government has no basis to claim the recommendations have been implemented, when promised federal water protections are not in place and cultural heritage assessments and consultation processes for Traditional Owners fall far short."
