Protesters travel hundreds of kms to back fracking ban bill
A bill backing growing opposition to fracking in the Limestone Coast will be voted on in parliament, with protesters descending to voice their fears.
A bill to permanently ban hydraulic fracturing (commonly known as fracking) in the state’s South-East is expected to pass South Australia’s Upper House today – but it will face an uphill battle in the House of Assembly.
Construction business owner and Limestone Coast Protection Alliance chair Angus Ralton travelled 400 kilometres to be in Adelaide today and support the bill, saying there had been a groundswell of community opposition to the proposed lifting of a moratorium on fracking in the Limestone Coast.
He told InDaily that it was about “sending a clear message to the government that this extremely poor policy is not on and we’re not going to rest until it’s been dealt with”.
“We don’t have a gas shortage in Australia – we have a gas export problem; we have a massive problem with that. We don’t need to destroy the state’s food bowl just for the sake of a couple of quick bucks, some short-term money for an industry that doesn’t need our support,” he said.
Gomeroi woman Jazmin Bingham woke up at 2am this morning to travel more than 500 kilometres from the Limestone Coast to Adelaide to also show her opposition to fracking.
Bingham said she was “gutted” and “heartbroken” when she heard about Labor’s move to lift a moratorium on fracking in the Limestone Coast, adding that her First Nation’s heritage gives her a unique perspective on the issue.
“We can’t risk adding fuel to the fire, and it’s really important that we value the voices of the people that live on that country and land, because once it’s gone, it’s gone forever,” she said.
The Energy Resources (Ban on Hydraulic Fracturing) Amendment Bill was introduced by Greens MLC Melanie Selwood on August 19, 2026, and will be voted on today.
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It would amend the wording of a section of the Energy Resources Act 2000 that places a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, in the Limestone Coast.
The bill would substitute the word moratorium with ban and would delete reference to a prescribed period.
It comes after the government introduced the Energy Resources (Regulated Activities) Amendment Bill in May to remove a moratorium on fracking in the Limestone Coast, with Premier Peter Malinauskas saying it needs to happen with the current fuel and gas crisis.
Energy and Mining Minister Tom Koutsantonis said Labor’s bill to end the moratorium will proceed when the state government is satisfied it will pass the Upper House.
Selwood said it was “up to the Labor Party to come to the table and choose to listen to community” when the bill came to a vote in the Lower House.
“There shouldn’t even be a discussion about whether we’re banning fracking in the Limestone Coast – the community don’t want it, the political parties other than Labor don’t want it, so it’s really time for Labor to step up and listen to the community,” she said.
Selwood’s bill is expected to pass the Legislative Council, where it has the backing of the Liberals and One Nation, alongside the Greens.
If successful, the bill will be introduced in the House of Assembly by independent Mount Gambier MP Travis Fatchen. However, the bill would likely be dead on arrival in the House of Assembly, where Labor enjoys an overwhelming majority.
Fatchen said that “fracking in the south-east has no place”, saying his community “are still against this invasive practice”.
Labor’s move to lift the fracking moratorium was welcomed by the South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy, with CEO Catherine Mooney saying it was an important step towards “evidence-based policymaking” and “strengthening the state’s long-term energy security”.
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“As the east coast faces tightening gas supply, unlocking responsibly regulated local production is a practical step toward energy security and affordability,” she said.
“South Australia has world-class environmental safeguards. Allowing those safeguards to operate, rather than imposing blanket bans, is the right path.”
Responding to today’s vote, Minister Koutsantonis said that “it is on brand for the Greens to oppose the resources sector”.
However, he said it was “appalling” to see the Liberals and One Nation “stand in solidarity with the Greens in a bid to wipe out South Australia’s gas industry – an industry that underpins our world-leading transition to renewable energy”.
“I thought I was seeing an AI deepfake when I first saw photographs of the Liberals and One Nation standing in a uniparty ticket with the Greens against one of our major industries!,” he said.
“One Nation went to the state election pretending they were pro-gas exploration – it is up to One Nation to explain why they are now pro-gas exploration using hydraulic fracture stimulation everywhere else in the state but against it in the south-east, where they happen to hold one of their four lower house seats.”
Shadow Energy and Mining Minister Ben Hood threw his support behind the bill, noting the Liberals originally introduced the fracking moratorium in the South-East.
“The Limestone Coast’s groundwater, established industries and long-term economic interests are too important to risk,” he said.
“The government’s change of position does not remove the geological risks, the dependence of regional industries on groundwater or the potential consequences of contamination.
“South Australia can pursue energy security while recognising that not every form of development is appropriate in every location.”
One Nation MLC Carlos Quaremba also backed the bill, saying “drilling through the only local water aquifer, on prime agricultural land, is a stupid idea”.
“We aren’t against fracking in other places, just not here,” he said.
“We won’t block this bill; however, if the Greens were genuinely serious about pushing back on this issue, they wouldn’t always preference Labor, handing them the power to introduce these stupid ideas,” he said.
In other news, Australian Rare Earths revealed the result of groundwater studies finding there would be no adverse impact to groundwater use for farmers from its proposed rare earths mine in the South-East.
Australian Rare Earths is moving towards applying for a Mine Lease for an area of approximately 1500 hectares, with around 600 hectares of that to be mined for rare earths.
The project was expected to create 100 full-time jobs in the South-East and inject $100 million worth of royalties to the State Government over an initial 12 years.
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