NT's new climate resilience plan lists gas project as top priority

The NT government's climate resilience plan lists the acceleration of works at the Beetaloo Basin as its number one priority. (ABC News: Hamish Harty)

A newly released climate resilience plan from the Northern Territory government has listed the acceleration of gas extraction from the Beetaloo Basin as a top priority.

The Climate Council and other environment groups have criticised the plan, saying it will increase emissions in the NT and "make climate change worse".

Despite the criticism, Environment Minister Joshua Burgoyne says the plan focuses on "reducing emissions over time".

A new climate resilience plan released by the Northern Territory government has drawn fierce criticism from environment groups for prioritising the acceleration of gas extraction from the Beetaloo Basin.

The plan, released on Monday, is set out in a three-page document, which says the Northern Territory government is focused on "working with the Australian government on the national target of net zero by 2050".

It outlines five "strategic priorities", including delivering a "secure and reliable energy transition", attracting investment and promoting emissions reduction.

Environment groups have criticised the plan for prioritising the gas industry over the environment. (Twitter: Tamboran Resources)

One of those priorities includes a a plan to accelerate the production of "low emissions energy, including from the Beetaloo Sub-basin", which the government says would "support long-term energy security for the Territory, Australia and our region and … deliver secure and reliable energy to Territorians at the lowest sustainable cost".

Major global oil and gas companies are expressing "serious interest" in the Beetaloo Basin for the first time, one analyst says, now that Beetaloo Energy has reached a final investment decision and committed to developing its fracking project.

The Beetaloo Basin gas field, about 500 kilometres south-east of Darwin, is nearly half the size of Tasmania and contains enough gas to power Australia for an estimated 300 years.

The government's climate plan has been widely criticised by environment groups, including the Climate Council, which say it will increase rather than reduce emissions.

"You can't have a climate resilience plan where the number one thing that the Northern Territory plans to do is drill for more gas and make climate change worse," said Climate Council senior advisor Ben McLeod.

Northern Territory' Environment Minister Joshua Burgoyne was unavailable for an interview about the plan, but said in a statement provided to the ABC