NT EPA and DLPE strengthening air quality management through LNG licence reform
The Department of Lands, Planning and Environment has completed a comprehensive review of environmental licences for the Northern Territory's LNG facilities, marking a significant milestone in strengthening air quality regulation and environmental protection in the Darwin airshed.
The review was initiated following advice from INPEX in October 2025 that pollutant emissions from the Ichthys LNG facility had been underreported, including substantial underreporting of benzene emissions. In response, the NT EPA implemented a coordinated program of work to assess potential impacts, improve regulatory oversight and strengthen public confidence in environmental management.
As part of this response, the department undertook a detailed review of LNG facility licences. The review examined regulatory approaches used across Australian jurisdictions and identified opportunities to modernise licence conditions and align them with contemporary best practice.
The final review report makes 23 recommendations to strengthen environmental regulation of LNG facilities in the Northern Territory.
Key recommendations include:
- introducing additional concentration and mass emission limits for pollutants
- requiring continuous emissions monitoring on major emission sources
- strengthening controls on hot venting and improving availability of pollution control equipment
- managing cumulative impacts from concurrent facility activities
- establishing community consultative committees to improve stakeholder engagement
- enhancing transparency through improved monitoring, reporting and publication of environmental information
- requiring regular independent audits of pollution control performance
- aligning fugitive emissions management requirements across facilities.
The NT EPA has endorsed all recommendations in full.
Dr Paul Vogel AM, Chair of the NT EPA, said:
'These changes represent a step change in the regulation of emissions in the Darwin airshed. The Northern Territory already has some of the most stringent conditions in its licensing regime, and these changes will ensure that air emissions are managed and regulated using best-practice pollution management.
'The community rightly expects industry to continually improve its environmental performance. These changes set clear expectations for operators to demonstrate best-practice environmental management and accountability.
'Together with the Northern Territory Government’s recently announced major improvements to air quality monitoring, these changes will provide further confidence that the community’s health is being protected and that environmental decision-making supports the assessment of future development proposals in a manner that safeguards ecologically sustainable development.
'This will provide confidence that the community's health is protected from air emissions from the LNG sector.'
This review brought together significant cross-government effort, combining regulatory expertise, scientific assessment and stakeholder engagement.
Read the final report PDF (2.6 MB) and information relating to air emissions management in the Darwin airshed, on the NT EPA website.
