Traditional custodians and a cattle station owner have been locked in a bitter legal fight to halt preparatory work by gas company Sweetpea Petroleum on their lands at Tanumbirini Station four hundred kilometres south of Darwin.
The Rallen group who owns Tanumbirini Station have successfully secured a supreme court injunction, halting all civil works at the site after claiming heavy earth moving equipment was damaging a large breeding paddock carrying more than 1500 head of cattle.
Traditional owners too have accused Sweetpea Petroleum of crossing a creek, and bulldozing bullwaddy trees they claim are protected under the NT sacred sites act.
The reprieve may be short-lived though, all parties return to court in a fortnight where a stay application will be heard.
Rallen is arguing all work should stop to protect its business from substantial interference and damage until an appeal judgment is handed down.
The bulldozers have fallen silent for now – the court battle that ground them to a halt resumes in a fortnight. Source: Supplied
The company is challenging an NT Civil and Administrative Tribunal decision that granted Sweetpea access to Tamburini Station to begin exploration work and prepare for future fracking operations.
Sweetpea's parent company, Tamboran Resources, has previously stated they are working within the approved terms of the access agreement and had worked closely with all stakeholders.
