Important blog message about the current situation
http://aidanricketts.com/nsw-government-mere-puppets-of-gas-industry/http://aidanricketts.com/nsw-government-mere-puppets-of-gas-industry/
Regional Day of Action at Murwillumbah - It's important we
maximise numbers at this event.
We need to help them surpass Lismore! Please set yourself a challenge of
seeing how many people you can get from your locality to Murwillumbah for this
event.
It will be fun.Emails Sent In By
From: Boudicca Cerese
Sent: Friday, September 14, 2012 1:13 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: Northern Rivers Gas Action Now
Dear
Friends,
As most of
you would be aware the state government this week announced a range of new
policies relating to coal and coal seam gas in NSW. These policies fail
categorically in their stated aim of providing a balance between mining and gas
extraction and other land uses, and the protection of farmland and water
resources.
The
government has also offered renewals on three exploration licenses in the
Northern Rivers- two held by Metgasco and one by Clarence Moreton Resources, and
approved the petroleum production lease which allows Metgasco to proceed with
their gas field development near Casino.
This action came just days after the Lismore community voted
overwhelmingly in opposition to this industry.
It is vital
that we let our politicians know how we feel about their capitulation to
corporate interests and their abandonment of the people of NSW and our vital
land, water and natural areas. Please take the time to write, or even better,
ring our local MP’s and government Ministers to let them know how you feel.
Please also pass this email on to your networks to maximise the
response.
We have
included some potential points to include and MP’s addresses and phone numbers
below. Please use your own wording and add some of your own additional concerns
if possible to make your communication more personal.
Writing and
ringing today is the first step in an escalation of our activities to force the
government to take notice and act on the concerns of the community. We must
continue to do all that we can until they can no longer continue to ignore
us.
Working
together for a CSG free Northern Rivers,
Boudicca Cerese & Ian
Gaillard
Co-ordinators, Lock the Gate Northern
Rivers.
Key
issues with licence renewals/lease approval:
·
They
ignore the range of failings and breaches in Metgasco’s exploration operations
to date including: wells leaking methane; drilling fluids dumped in unlined
ponds, holding ponds operated under an expired consent; wastewater carted
illegally to the sewage works; several fines for non-compliance with their
exploration licence; breach of their exploration licence by undertaking
exploration operations without an approved Wastewater Management
Plan.
·
They ignore the
87% poll vote opposed to coal seam gas in the Lismore LGA and the 30 + local
communities across the Northern Rivers that have declared themselves Gasfield
free following door to door community surveys of residents.
·
The
renewals/approval have been granted before the government has made a formal
response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into CSG and addressed all the
recommendations in the final report.
·
CSG
production has been approved prior to any application of the strategic land use
policy in the region, including mapping of strategic agricultural
lands.
Key issues with the policies:
·
The
fracking moratorium has been lifted even
though the Parliamentary Inquiry Report (Recommendation no. 9) recommended it
remain in place until all fracking chemicals had been properly assessed by the
national chemical assessor.
·
The
concept of 'no-go' zones has been abandoned.
·
Mapping of
Strategic Agricultural Land has increased but the gateway process has been
weakened.
·
The
Aquifer Interference Regulation has been downgraded to a policy with no legal
teeth.
·
There is
no Aquifer Interference Approval required for CSG activities.
·
The
Minister for Primary Industries and the NSW Office of Water have been relegated
to a purely advisory role in the Aquifer Interference Regulation.
·
Requirements for cost-benefit
analysis and a public interest test have been made voluntary
·
Mapping of
high conservation value areas has been dropped.
·
There is
no certainty for communities affected by CSG exploration.
·
There is
no protection for drinking water catchments.
·
Water
resources, farmland, natural assets and communities are all at risk from this
policy.
·
They break
key election promises from the government to protect land and water from mining,
undertake cumulative impact
assessments, ensure triple bottom line assessments, and mandate public interest
tests and cost-benefit analyses.
Politician’s Contact
Details:
Premier Barry O’Farrell
office@premier.nsw.gov.au ph. 02 9228
5239
Andrew Stoner Deputy
Premier
ph. 02 9228
5209 office@deputypremier.nsw.gov.
Chris Hartcher, Minister for Resources and
Energy,
office@hartcher.minister.nsw.
Brad Hazzard, Planning Minister,
office@hazzard.minister.nsw.
Don Page, State Member for Ballina, Minister
for the North Coast and Local Govt.
office@page.minister.nsw.gov.
Don.Page@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Katrina Hodgkinson, Minister for Primary
Industries,
office@hodgkinson.minister.
Thomas George, State Member for Lismore
lismore@parliament.nsw.gov.au ph. 02 6621
3624
Chris Gulaptis Member for Clarence
clarence@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Jeff Provost Member for Tweed
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