November2010
Gas goes down
The NSW Labor Governments Christmas present to rural NSW would do disgraced former Minister MacDonald proud. The fossil fuel industry leads this Government by the nose. In this years final sitting days, suddenly, with no community consultation, debate or investigation, a Bill is introduced to give the gas mining industry carte blanche access over, through and under prime farming lands which will make even Queensland’s draconian laws look weak.
The Government’s Bill views the Plains as ‘sparsely settled, non urban land’, and solely as a sequestration sink and coal mining source. Landholders rights and privileges are effectively abolished in the name of development. The inevitable mixing of underground stored carbon dioxide with ground water will ultimately ensure the effective demise of farming and grazing.
Welcome to the 21st century, and Merry Christmas.
Geosequestration review here. DPI summary here.
BadLands
Tonight they packed out the Gunnedah town hall to experience the academy nominated documentary ‘Gasland‘. With local, state and federal politicians in attendance, film maker Josh Fox presented his expose of the desolation wrought by Coal Seam Gas mining on US heartland, which was both poignant and highly relevant to our local area.
Analogous to Big Tobacco, the film highlighted the duplicitous actions of mining companies when faced with evidence of animal deaths and human health degradation by exposure to toxic ground waters linked to cocktails of carcinogenic chemicals pumped into coal seams to release trapped gas. The film highlighted too, legal exemptions granted these companies for this resource exploitation. We are rightly scared that all this will be repeated locally.
And it has. First evidence is emerging in Queensland of contaminated farm water as the gas industry attempts to … Read More »
Water Watch
In its first reporting tranche, the Namoi Water Study nominated service provider, Schlumberger Water Services , today held local public meetings. Its essential brief: to develop water models anticipating the impact of gas and coal extraction. The technically impressive analysis requires entering all available information into a database to create a mathematical model and GIS (Geographic Information System), with the ultimate goal of delivering analysis of surface and subsurface waters and geological features.
The ambitious timeline drawn by MOC chair Mal Peters for a March 2012 completion, belied the enormous task, the inevitable data gaps, ambiguous and conflicting historical data from previous analyzes, the tight funding, as well as political input and pressures from commercial interest groups.
It’s a big job. CCAG wish them well.
The X File
A railway crossing sign quietly appearing on a local road with no rail lines anywhere near, could be a portent of future mining activity, or just a prank. Whilst Government and mining companies may deny knowledge, locals can contemplate a future with a busy rail link through the heart of prime farming country. And just like a crop circle, it too may disappear, for now.
Press Pause NOW
The call by NSW Farmers for a moratorium on new mining and exploration is fully endorsed by CCAG.
NSW Government has failed to show any diligence on investigating the Liverpool Plains and its resources before rushing in and awarding mining and gas exploration contracts. The scientific Water Study, long sought for by CCAG, is just basic common sense for an area as diverse as this, and must precede any irreversible resource extraction. The intervention by Murray Darling Basin Commission to further limit water extraction and usage adds another layer of complexion over the Plains.
CCAG supports the call to pause the process, and to rewrite the antiquated mining legislation to ensure we have the ability to sustain our Agricultural future for all time. Current legislation does not allow this to happen.
We call on all parties to support this vital step.
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