A former adviser to Northern Territory Treasurer Bill Yan held 62,500 shares in gas producer Beetaloo Energy throughout her time in his office, with Sonia Harvey insisting she declared the shareholding before starting the job.
Harvey joined Yan's office in March 2025 after three years as Beetaloo Energy's vice-president of government and community relations, a role she left in July 2024. She left the ministerial office in September 2026 for what she described as personal reasons, having advised Yan on infrastructure and logistics policy.
The NT government has promoted the Beetaloo Basin gas reserve as key to the territory's future. During Harvey's tenure it signed an agreement with Beetaloo Energy to secure appraisal gas from its Beetaloo Basin fracking project for the NT energy grid, with Deputy Chief Minister Gerard Maley signing the deal in December 2025. Details have been kept secret on "commercial in confidence" grounds. Chief executive Alex Underwood said at the time the appraisal deal had enabled the firm to reach a final investment decision on the project. The agreement followed 10-year gas supply deals signed by Beetaloo Energy and Tamboran Resources with the former Labor government in 2024 amid concerns about gas shortages.
Beetaloo Energy's share register shows Harvey held 62,500 shares for the duration of her tenure; they would currently be worth around $13,750. The ABC does not suggest any wrongdoing by Harvey, who said she declared the holdings "as part of [a] pre-employment check". "I have complied with the relevant requirements applying to ministerial staff, including in relation to the declaration and management of conflicts of interest," she said.
Yan announced Beetaloo-related tenders while Harvey worked there, including a $68 million contract for the design and construction of stage three of the Carpentaria Highway upgrade. The federal and NT governments allocated a combined $262 million to the upgrade. He also announced a contract worth more than $900,000 for technical advice to help plan the proposed Territory Energy Link corridor from Elliott to Darwin. "It will connect the Beetaloo to Darwin and the world," Yan said in May 2025.
Harvey said she was not privy to information about the appraisal agreement and had "no engagement" with Beetaloo Energy while in Yan's office. She said she was not responsible for setting budget or funding decisions, or for procurement and tender assessments, and that the roads identified were part of an infrastructure program approved before her employment.
Transparency International Australia chief executive Clancy Moore said the government needed to explain how the conflict was managed. "A ministerial adviser holding shares in a company affected by their minister's decisions raises a serious conflict of interest that needs to be explained and addressed," he said. He said there should be a clear account of when the shares were disclosed, who assessed the conflict and what safeguards covered both participation in decisions and access to confidential information, adding: "Sunlight is always the best disinfectant and the NT government's transparency of information can only lead to greater public trust in procurement decisions."
A spokesperson for Yan said only that Harvey had declared her interests in line with the NT ministerial staff code of conduct, which requires staff to complete a declaration and management of conflict of interest form at the earliest opportunity. Neither Harvey nor the government provided a copy of the form despite ABC requests, and a Freedom of Information request lodged by the ABC has not been acknowledged.
The latest disclosures follow the ABC's September report that Maley had promoted a Beetaloo Energy data centre project without publicly disclosing that his sister-in-law worked at the firm. Maley said he had declared the conflict under the code but did not provide written evidence; the rules did not require public disclosure, though integrity experts said more transparency was needed.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- A senior ministerial adviser had a financial interest in a gas company while the government was signing agreements and announcing tenders connected to that company's Beetaloo Basin project.
- The NT government has treated Beetaloo gas as central to the territory's energy future, so questions about how conflicts are managed affect public trust in procurement and decision-making.
- The government has not released the conflict declaration form, and a Freedom of Information request is outstanding, leaving the issue unresolved.
Background
The Country Liberal Party government in the Northern Territory has promoted development of the Beetaloo Basin gas reserve as key to the territory's economic and energy future. Gas projects in the basin have been the subject of political debate, including environmental concerns over fracking. The NT ministerial staff code of conduct requires staff to declare perceived, potential or actual conflicts of interest at the earliest opportunity.
Key Perspectives
- Sonia Harvey: insists she declared her shareholdings as part of a pre-employment check and complied with ministerial staff requirements; says she had no engagement with Beetaloo Energy while working in Yan's office and was not responsible for budget, funding or procurement decisions.
- Bill Yan's office: said only that Harvey had declared her interests in line with the NT ministerial staff code of conduct, without providing further detail or the declaration form.
- Transparency International Australia: through chief executive Clancy Moore, says the arrangement raises a serious conflict of interest that needs to be explained and addressed, including when the shares were disclosed, who assessed the conflict and what safeguards applied.
What to Watch
- Whether the chief minister's office acknowledges and answers the Freedom of Information request for the conflict declaration form.
- Whether Yan's office provides the clear account of disclosure, assessment and safeguards that Clancy Moore has called for.
- Whether the separate questions about Deputy Chief Minister Gerard Maley's disclosure over his sister-in-law's employment at Beetaloo Energy prompt any changes to how NT ministerial conflicts are handled.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedHarvey held Beetaloo Energy shares while advising Treasurer Bill Yan.Darwin articles feed: “Beetaloo Energy's share register shows throughout Ms Harvey's tenure in Mr Yan's office, she held 62,500 shares in the company”
- SupportedHarvey said she disclosed her shareholding “as part of [a] pre-employment check”.Darwin articles feed: “The ABC does not suggest any wrongdoing by Ms Harvey, who said she disclosed her Beetaloo Energy shareholdings "as part of [a] pre-employment check".”
- SupportedHarvey said she complied with requirements for declaring and managing conflicts of interest.Darwin articles feed: “"I have complied with the relevant requirements applying to ministerial staff, including in relation to the declaration and management of conflicts of interest," she said.”
- Reports differHarvey left Yan's office in September 2026.Darwin articles feed: “Sonia Harvey left Bill Yan's office in September 2025.”
- SupportedHarvey held 62,500 shares, worth around $13,750 at the time of reporting.Darwin articles feed: “Beetaloo Energy's share register shows throughout Ms Harvey's tenure in Mr Yan's office, she held 62,500 shares in the company, which would be currently worth around $13,750.”
- SupportedHarvey said she had “no engagement” with Beetaloo Energy while working in Yan's office.Darwin articles feed: “Ms Harvey said she was not privy to any information regarding the Beetaloo Energy gas supply appraisal agreement and said she had "no engagement" with the company while working in Mr Yan's office.”
- SupportedGerard Maley signed the appraisal gas deal in December 2025.Darwin articles feed: “Gerard Maley signed the gas appraisal deal with Beetaloo Energy in December last year.”
- SupportedAlex Underwood said the appraisal deal enabled Beetaloo Energy to reach a final investment decision on the project.Darwin articles feed: “At the time, Beetaloo Energy chief executive Alex Underwood said the appraisal deal had enabled the firm to reach a final investment decision on its Beetaloo Basin project.”
- SupportedYan announced a $68 million contract for stage three of the Carpentaria Highway upgrade.Darwin articles feed: “During Ms Harvey's tenure in Mr Yan's office, the infrastructure minister announced tenders relating to the Beetaloo Basin, including a $68 million contract for the design and construction of stage three of the Carpentaria Highway upgrade”
- SupportedThe federal and NT governments allocated a combined $262 million to the Carpentaria Highway upgrade.Darwin articles feed: “In total, the federal and NT governments have allocated a combined $262 million to the Carpentaria Highway upgrade.”
- SupportedClancy Moore said a ministerial adviser holding shares in a company affected by the minister's decisions raised a serious conflict that needed explaining and addressing.Darwin articles feed: “"A ministerial adviser holding shares in a company affected by their minister's decisions raises a serious conflict of interest that needs to be explained and addressed," he said.”
- SupportedThe ABC's Freedom of Information request for the form had not been acknowledged.Darwin articles feed: “The ABC lodged a Freedom of Information request for the form last week, but it is yet to be acknowledged by the chief minister's office.”