APA Group (ASX: APA) has announced the registration of an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) with Traditional Owners for the Sturt Plateau Pipeline (SPP) in the Northern Territory.
The agreement, facilitated by the Northern Land Council (NLC) in line with its statutory responsibilities, finalises the required Traditional Owner consents to progress the pipeline.
It complements an existing agreement already secured between Traditional Owners and APA’s customer for the SPP, Tamboran Resources.
The ILUA establishes a structured framework for engagement with Traditional Owners throughout the life of the project.
It sets out social, economic, and environmental arrangements, ensuring ongoing collaboration as the pipeline progresses.
APA CEO and Managing Director Adam Watson underscored the significance of the milestone, highlighting its role in advancing the company’s commitment to genuine partnerships with Traditional Owners.
“The Sturt Plateau Pipeline is the crucial first-stage link to enable Beetaloo gas to reach power generation assets that keep the lights on across the Northern Territory and this agreement provides the required consent from Traditional Owners to progress this important project.
“The registration of this ILUA provides a strong foundation for the Sturt Plateau Pipeline to proceed in close partnership with Traditional Owners, ensuring the project is delivered safely and responsibly.
“This is a critical milestone as we work to maintain positive and lasting relationships with Traditional Owners and builds on the agreement already in place with APA’s customer.”
The 37-kilometre pipeline will connect Tamboran’s Shenandoah South Pilot Project in the Beetaloo Basin to APA’s Amadeus Gas Pipeline (AGP), ensuring gas from the Beetaloo is available to support Northern Territory power generation from 2026.
With a Northern Territory government licence already secured, construction of the approximately $66.5 million pipeline is scheduled to commence in September 2025, with completion targeted for early 2026.
APA confirmed it will continue to engage closely with Traditional Owners, landholders, and other stakeholders as the project moves forward.
