Agriculture
Community Blockade Removal
The Community Blockade was removed from the Glasserton site near Spring Ridge on the 15th November 2011. The blockade included 24-7 coverage for 19 days. This coverage certainly couldn’t have been possible without the wonderful support from the local community and beyond. CCAG received a number of requests from concerned citizens throughout the State offering their time to assist at the Community Blockade. On the first weekend of the Blockade a couple travelled from the coast for the weekend to support the community and make a stand against Coal Seam Gas (CSG). Thank you to all of you for giving your time to support this community event.
The Community Blockade was removed with very a specific agreement being brokered by Kevin Anderson the local member from Tamworth on behalf of the Nationals. Santos has agreed not to drill at the Glasserton … Read More »
“they don’t give a stuff”
“The Government is broke and they don’t give a stuff about the Farmers”…..
That was how broadcaster Alan Jones concluded the Food Forum held at Gunnedah Town Hall on the 12th October, calling on more people to protest and said “it was up to us to fight for food security”.
Key speakers included clinical psychologist, Dr Wayne Somerville, who warned of the psychological effects for rural communities under the threat of CSG expansion. Dr Pauline Roberts, health expert and until recently a resident of the Liverpool Plains, advocated activism as the only thing that will stop this madness. Drew Hutton of ‘Lock the Gate Alliance’, battling CSG in Queensland, warned that the Liverpool Plains in 2012/2013 could look similar to todays Chinchilla, with over 4,000 gas wells. “The Darling Downs will not only have 40,000 wells, but 20 to 30 coal mines … Read More »
National Day of Action
The National Day of Action on the 16th October united Coal Seam Gas groups all across Australia. The first day of National Water Week was chosen as the rally day for maximum impact. Over 10,000 people, in groups from 50 to large rallies of 2000, gathered to show their support for stopping irresponsible mining destroying farm land, precious food resources, underground water systems and natural environment.
SOS Liverpool Plains organised the local event at Willow Tree Park with over 60 community members protesting against CSG. Many travellers called into the stand, with questions about the risks posed by the CSG industry, with concerns about how the NSW Government could jeopardise an area that produces so much food, and put at risk our children’s future environment.
Thanks again to SOS Liverpool Plains for continuing our fight to protect one of Australia’s remaining food … Read More »
They should be growing food………
Over 100 Farmers were present on Thursday 27th October to launch the community blockade to stop Santos from commencing CSG pilot production at George’s Island Spring Ridge. The second day brought another 90 people to show their support. Our Farmers should be growing our food not manning blockades but the community feel they have no other choice. They are committed to protect our most valuable resources and it is a credit to them.
Kevin Anderson, the local member for Tamworth pledged his support as did Fiona Simson of NSW Famers when they called at the blockade last week. Tony and Lyn Windsor visited on the weekend and Tony is right behind us doing whatever he can in Canberra. Jeremy Buckingham Greens MP and his wife Sarah came over from Orange. Jeremy has lobbied hard against CSG. It was his initiative that … Read More »
The burning issue
The coal seam gas extraction saga dominates media interest, while debates continue as to its relative environmental friendliness compared to coal burning. Some commentators see farmer land rights and struggles in purely financial terms, promoting farmland and its production areas as flexible and malleable, as society’s needs change. CCAG has always, and continues to argue that prime production land and its water resources should be sacred, and should be fully quarantined from the ravages of mining activities.
As the fight to highlight these adverse mining consequences continues, CCAG congratulates its foundation executive member Fi Simson on her appointment as president of NSW Farmers.
Save the Pilliga!
As Rosemary Nankivell, CCAG’s gas spokesperson says, Coal Seam Gas is in the news everywhere these days. With Arrow Energy having another well blowout, on the Darling Downs, calls for shutdowns and moratoriums are being heard clearly down in political circles.
While CCAG welcomes the NSW Government’s announcement of a 60 day freeze on new exploration licenses for coal and gas, it’s only a start. It comes as news of the NFF fighting fund financial backing of a Queensland farmer challenge to Gas Company and State Government mining approvals. This NFF backing was critical too in CCAG’s recent successful challenge to NSW unfair mining exploration laws.
Locally the Pilliga is threatened by a reportedly planned 550 gas wells, and networked pipelines across the black soil Liverpool Plains. And as the cartoon shows, Santos cannot accurately find the Scrub for the trees.
New brooms
With a new Government in Macquarie Street, the new NSW Resources Minister Chris Hartcher was coy today, when the media reiterated CCAGs questions as to the extension of the expired BHP exploration lease covering Caroona Exploration Area. Trusting the mining companies to ‘do the right thing’, for example, not to mine under aquifers, or not to route gas pipe lines through black soil plains etc etc is not something that is apparent to Liverpool Plains landholders.
As CCAG chairman Sandy Bloomfield said today, this mining lease renewal is a great opportunity to revisit mining exploration conditions, to formalize mining companies promises and to implement real environmental safeguards.
Felton
With similar issues to CCAG, Friends of Felton held a successful protest in Toowoomba recently, armed with wheelbarrows full of vegetables. Click on the links below, please leave a comment to keep the stories alive on the web.
https://qcl.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/agribusiness-and-general/general/qld-election-pressure-in-farming-vs-mining-row/1460480.aspx?src=enews
https://qcl.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/agribusiness-and-general/general/greens-back-farmers-against-coal-takeover/1460472.aspx?src=enews
NSW DPI digs itself in deeper
The NSW Department of Primary Industries has awarded itself an exploration licence covering half of Gunnedah Shire this week whilst the rest of the world is reducing its demand and reliance on polluting forms of energy.
Whilst the world warms and rivers are cracked and polluted from mining operations, the DPI carries on regardless, seemingly unaware that the world is changing around it: that NSW needs to be smarter than ‘dig it up, ship it out’, that the world is running out of food and that the Federal government has fast tracked its $500 million renewable energy fund for a non-polluting, base load providing solar revolution.
Everyone knows we’re already in a hole with coal, so surely it’s time for the DPI to stop digging? After all, NSW’s farmers have been using windmills and capturing solar energy to feed Australia and overseas … Read More »
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