The Northern Territory government has announced comprehensive legislative reforms requiring industrial operators to fund a real-time ambient air quality monitoring network in Darwin. The move follows revelations that the Ichthys liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing facility, situated about 10 kilometers from Darwin’s central business district, significantly under-reported toxic emissions over several years.

In 2023, the Ichthys LNG plant’s operator, Inpex, admitted to substantial errors in emissions reporting dating back to 2018. Initial reports understated the release of hazardous chemicals, including benzene—a known carcinogen linked to leukemia—and toluene, a flammable solvent associated with nervous system damage. Following a recalculation prompted by an internal review, Inpex revised benzene emissions for the 2023 fiscal year from 412 tonnes to 556.9 tonnes, reflecting a 13,419 percent increase. Toluene emissions were adjusted upward by 11,184 percent, from the previously reported level by 564.75 tonnes.

An independent investigation commissioned by the Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority (NTEPA) corroborated these findings, concluding that toxic emissions from the facility had been systematically underestimated since the project’s inception. The review highlighted multiple methodological flaws in Inpex’s reporting system, such as incomplete usage calculations, omitted emission sources, and inappropriate use of generic emission factors when site-specific data were available. Significant sources like emissions from ships at berth, fuel storage, and condensate storage were either overlooked or underestimated. Furthermore, formaldehyde and ammonia emissions, which met reporting thresholds, were excluded from submissions due to gaps in methodology.

The report also identified data quality issues across the board, including inconsistent entry procedures, missing documentation, and inadequate chemical inventories. The absence of formal quality assurance mechanisms, such as standardized preparation documentation and internal review protocols, undermined the accuracy and reliability of regulatory submissions.

In response, the Territory government’s amended legislation aims to enhance and expand existing air quality monitoring infrastructure to include active measurement of industrial pollutants, such as benzene. The collected data will be publicly available to ensure community transparency. Joshua Burgoyne, Minister for Lands, Planning and Environment, emphasized the importance of providing Territorians with real-time, evidence-based information about air quality while stressing that industry, rather than taxpayers, will bear the financial responsibility for the expanded monitoring network.

“The trust of the community requires transparent monitoring and reporting of industrial emissions,” Burgoyne said, adding that industrial activity remains crucial for economic growth and jobs in the region.

The reforms have been supported by the NTEPA and NT Health authorities. Meanwhile, Inpex faced additional challenges when the Fair Work Commission denied its application to halt industrial action by approximately 400 workers at the Ichthys facility. The commission found that a potential shutdown would not inflict the economic harm cited by Inpex due to lost export revenue. Requests for comment from Inpex were not answered.