The Northern Territory government has been urged to lift a moratorium on fracking to kickstart development of onshore gas reserves.
Opposition leader Gary Higgins says it's time for the ban to go on the back of an expert report which found the risks associated with gas extraction could be properly managed.
"On the back of a 20-month delay, we would expect that exploration activity would commence this upcoming dry season," Mr Higgins said.
Justice Rachel Pepper handed down the inquiry's final report in Darwin on Tuesday, including 134 recommendations which she described as a "package deal" the government should implement in full if it decided to lift the current moratorium.
Justice Pepper said no industry was without risk and any onshore shale gas industry was no exception.
"However, it is the panel's opinion that if all of the recommendations are implemented, the identified risks associated with any onshore shale gas industry can be mitigated or reduced to an acceptable level, and in some cases, the risks can be eliminated," she said.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the government would either ban fracking or allow it in highly regulated circumstances in tightly prescribed areas but would not put existing jobs in jeopardy.
"We will not put at risk existing fishing, farming, tourism and cattle jobs for the possibility of jobs from fracking," he said.
The NT government imposed a moratorium on fracking in September 2016 and in December that year announced the independent scientific inquiry which conducted 151 public hearings and received more than 1200 submissions.
At those hearings, indigenous and environmental groups called for a permanent ban while business groups said lifting the ban would provide immediate and long-term benefits for the NT economy.
