Fracking Fears: Why Doctors Say Darwin Could Become Unlivable

A group of forty-five paediatricians has come together to raise a serious alarm about the potential risks of fracking on the health of children. 

These doctors have signed a letter to the Northern Territory Government asking them to back down on their approval of a fracking industry at Beetaloo Basin – highlighting the growing evidence linking fracking to issues such as birth defects, low birth weight, cancer, and respiratory conditions. 

Paediatrician Louise Woodward, who played a key role in drafting the letter, spoke with Jan Fran on The Briefing about the significance of their message:

“This project is so big that I thought I can’t stay silent anymore. And I felt that my job is not worth anything compared to the health and well-being of territory children and Australian children… Darwin may become unliveable in the next fifty years. And yet, people like me and other professionals, we can leave. But what about the people that can’t leave?”

Earlier this week, these health professionals took their concerns to the streets, gathering outside the Australian Parliament House (APH) in Canberra. Their protest aimed to draw government attention to the urgent need for action.

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