Origin Regional Relationship Specialist, Russell Jeffrey, sees himself as the link between the local community and the company for our exploration work in the Beetaloo Basin in the Northern Territory. An important role to make sure the communities where we work get the correct information and so we can hear any concerns they may have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Born and raised in Darwin,\nand a proud Territorian, Russell focuses on building\nand maintaining relationships with the host Traditional Owners and Native Title\nholders for Origin\u2019s permits. He also\ncan\u2019t hide his love for working in the bush. \u201cI\u2019ve been bush all my life, so\nI\u2019ve got a natural affiliation with it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI went out of my way to learn the process and get the real news, I suppose, and get the truth. And I\u2019m very happy I did that and am comfortable in the fact it is safe.\u201d <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Getting the facts about our work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Like most Territorians,\nRussell has a relative view of distance, and what it\u2019s like to work in more\nremote areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf I get a phone call and\nthey want to have a yarn about anything, or they want me to come on country and\nsay hello, I can jump in the car and I\u2019m six and a half hours away. It doesn\u2019t\nworry me whether it\u2019s the working week or a weekend. If there\u2019s anything I can\ndo to help I\u2019ll certainly make sure I do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI really feel that I\u2019m a\nstrong voice, and a strong advocate. They ask me questions; I give them the\nanswers. And if I can\u2019t, I find the answers for them. For me it\u2019s about\nsupplying the real facts behind what we do, and how we do it.\u201d Russell said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russell recalls it wasn\u2019t\nalways that way when it comes to his own understanding and comfort about the\ngas industry and topics such as fracking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI went out of my way to\nlearn the process and get the real news, I suppose, and get the truth. And I\u2019m\nvery happy I did that and am comfortable in the fact it is safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Traditional Owners and our work in the Beetaloo Basin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Russell\nsays host Traditional Owners\nare happy for Origin to be coming\nback and resuming work, which will see\nthe opportunities and benefits begin\nto flow again for their families and communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEvery one of our Native\nTitle holders has spoken strongly about wanting their kids, their grandkids to\nhave the opportunities they didn\u2019t have \u2013 because there aren\u2019t a lot down this\nway, so for them it\u2019s all about the now and the future for their kids and their\ngrandkids to actually have some choices in life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m extremely proud to be working for Origin on this project which offers so much; not just to our Traditional Owners and pastoralists.” <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m extremely proud to be\nworking for Origin on this project which offers so much; not just to our\nTraditional Owners and pastoralists. I see this as a project that has so much\nto offer the whole of the Northern Territory – and being a Territorian that\nmakes me extremely proud to be a part of,\u201d Russell said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our Beetaloo operations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In mid-2014, we commenced a\nnine well shale gas exploration project in the Beetaloo Basin. In 2018, the\nNorthern Territory Government lifted its moratorium on onshore gas production. Origin\nresumed operations in the Beetaloo Basin, after adopting the recommendations\nmade by the recent Scientific Inquiry on fracking and gaining the necessary\nregulatory approvals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n