Community Update #18 - 4 August 2017

Inquiry Chair Justice Rachel Pepper advises that the community consultation scheduled for next week in Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs, Humpty Doo and Darwin is not the "final phase of community consultation" for the Inquiry.

"The community consultation sessions to be held next week are an opportunity for the Inquiry Panel to present the Interim Report to the community in urban towns and cities in the Northern Territory and for the community to ask questions, engage with the Inquiry Panel and further understand the contents of the Interim Report," said Justice Rachel Pepper.

"It has been incorrectly assumed and reported that these sessions are the 'final phase of community consultation' for the Inquiry.

"This is not the case. As I have repeatedly said throughout the Inquiry, we will be releasing a draft Final Report later this year which will be followed by a final round of face-to-face community consultation.

"I have stated on many occasions at community meetings, through community updates, when meeting with stakeholders, at public hearings and to the media, that the Inquiry will accept submissions at any time during the course of our proceedings.

"During previous community forums held in March this year the Inquiry received feedback that people had difficulty attending these events after 5pm due to after work and family commitments, so for this round of community forums we have tried to accommodate these concerns by holding the meetings during business hours or late afternoon.

"The Inquiry will also be travelling to remote communities from 21 August 2017 discussing the work of the Inquiry to date as outlined in the Interim Report, the work still to be completed by the Inquiry and to receive feedback from the community on the Interim Report and any other matters of concern."

For more information on community forums and other information related to the Inquiry go to www.frackinginquiry.nt.gov.au