Traditional owners across the Northern Territory are calling for a complete 2018 fracking ban, fearing onshore gas will irreversibly harm their land, culture and identity.
About 50 indigenous people gathered on Darwin's parliament steps on Monday to deliver a statement to the Gunner government, which continues to feel federal pressure to lift its hydraulic fracturing moratorium.
The document states gas companies lied to traditional owners about "irreversible" damage the controversial gas extraction method would cause, claiming there'd be no impacts.
"We are concerned about the damage to our water, our country, our dreaming and our song lines," the statement said.
"We want to be able to fish and hunt, gather bush tucker and bush medicines now and for all generations."
Labor has refused to end its ban pending the findings of an independent inquiry which have been delayed three months because of botched consulting in remote communities where gas companies want to develop.
Eleanor Dixon, a Mudbura woman from Marlinja is worried about contamination of rivers and the subsequent health impact.
"The government needs to listen to us," she said. "We are the people who would face the drilling rigs on country; it's our water and country you are putting at risk."
Scott McDinny, a Garawa man from Borroloola, believes now may be the last chance Aboriginal land owners have to let the government know their stance.
"Wet season is just around the corner and if they lift the moratorium then, we won't be able to get out of our communities to respond," he said.
Several hundred Territory residents including farmers, health workers, tourism operators, fishermen and artists held an anti-fracking rally outside parliament on Saturday.
The inquiry came under fire in October after subcontracted consultants were accused of pushing residents from a remote indigenous community to exploit shale gas-extraction, saying the industry wasn't going away.
As a result a new social impact assessment will need to be undertaken and the findings of the task force, which were originally due next month, now won't be released until March 2018.
