
Have your say on the referral of the North to East Australia Pipeline Stage 1 to the NT EPA
Disclaimer: This document provides legal information only and does not replace the need for professional legal advice in individual cases. While every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate, the EDO does not accept any responsibility for any loss or damage resulting from any error in this document or use of this work.
APT Management Services Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of APA Group, (APA) has referred Stage 1 of the North to East Australia Pipeline to the Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority for environmental assessment under the Environment Protection Act 2019 (NT).
APA proposes to develop, own and operate the North to East Australia Pipeline (NEAP). The NEAP is a 1,561km gas transmission pipeline to transport gas extracted from the Beetaloo Sub-basin in the Northern Territory to the East Coast Gas Grid in Queensland. The NEAP would enable the commercialisation of fracking projects in the Beetaloo Sub-Basin. The NEAP is proposed to be developed in stages, with Stage 1 focussed on the section of the NEAP located within the Northern Territory. Stage 2 of the NEAP is focussed on the section of the pipeline located in Queensland and will be assessed under Qld law.
The NT EPA must now make two decisions:
- Does the NEAP require environmental approval to proceed?
- If so, what level of environmental impact assessment is required for the Minister to be able to make an informed decision as to whether to grant environmental approval of the NEAP?
This is the first opportunity for the public to comment on Stage 1 of the NEAP, and in particular, on why the NEAP requires environmental assessment and at what level the environmental impacts of the NEAP should be assessed. You can let the NT EPA know your views on points (1) and (2) above by sending in your submission by no later than 11:59pm (ACST) on 15 October 2026.
The referral documents can be found on the NT EPAโs website here: North to East Australia Pipeline Stage 1 | NTEPA




