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Volume 3 #34 Thursday, May 5, 2011 Advertising and news enquiries: Phone: (02) 6672 2280 editor@tweedecho.com.au adcopy@tweedecho.com.au 21,000 copies every week CAB AUDIT
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LOCAL & INDEPENDENT
Coalition goes cold on banning coal-seam gas Hopes of an unofficial moratorium on coal-seam gas (CSG) exploration licences in NSW since the change of government in March have failed to materialise and it’s business as usual for the mining sector. A public rally calling for an immediate ban on CSG mining to be held next Saturday, May 14, at Murwillumbah’s Knox Park at 11am, is expected to put pressure on the three local MPs in the government to work for a moratorium on the new industry. Since the Liberal-National coalition swept into power in March, the licensing authority, the Department of Primary Industries (DPI), has issued two new exploration licences. But so far the Tweed has been spared.
Macquarie Energy’s petroleum exploration licence (PEL) 134 application encompassing significant areas of the upper Tweed around Tyalgum is still being assessed and there is no indication when a decision is likely. A DPI spokesperson this week told The Echo the application was still under consideration and ‘there is no time frame for a decision at the moment’. Data amassed by the Kyogle-based Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) indicates two PELs have been issued by the department since March – one to Eastern Star Gas for the Moree and Warrumbungle Ranges area and the other to AGL for Guyra. The EDO’s Mark Byrne says the current regulatory structure is designed for orthodox prospecting but hopelessly inadequate to cope with
Rally unites community against CSG The public rally gainst coal-seam gas mining planned for next Saturday, May 14, at Murwillumbah’s Knox Park has brought together a range of diverse community lobby groups. The rally is being organised by the newly formed Northern Rivers Guardians (NRG) and the Caldera Environment Centre with support from the Combined Tweed Rural Industries Association and the local branch of the NSW Canegrowers Association. A meeting of the NRG at Tyalgum this week drew 30 people to plan local strategies for action and fundraising to fight CSG mining. NRG spokesman Michael McNamara said the rally, or ‘united community gathering’, would include a march through the Murwillumbah CBD from 11.15am and speakers from a range of community groups and organisations from noon. ‘Food will be available for purchase and families are encouraged to make a day of it,’ he said. ‘This campaign is all about the legacy we leave our children and grandchildren, whether it be in terms of viable agricultural or tourism enterprises, with the associated employment opportunities, or a healthy and vibrant environment.’ Further information is available at the NRG website www.northernriversguardians.org.
the issues created by the new technology associated with coal-seam gas exploration. In a submission to the NSW Coal and Gas Strategy scoping document earlier this year, Mr Byrne said one of the main issues with the current system is the underlying assumption that exploratory activities for CSG are benign. ‘It’s assumed that only much later in the process, that is when CSG is intended to be produced through extraction, is there a more rigorous environmental assessment required. ‘The fundamental problem with this system is that the Petroleum Act contains provisions that ultimately provide a legitimate expectation to companies which have undertaken exploration activities over an area, in that as long as their CSG production operation would not breach the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, that company would get a lease to produce CSG. ‘It may be that the ideological basis for this type of provision is rooted in the fact that all minerals and petroleum resources are owned by the Crown and companies extract those resources on behalf of the Crown. ‘What the laws governing CSG operations do not do is address specifically the unique problems identified and associated with CSG operations. ‘Specific laws are required as the CSG industry is new and expanding rapidly in NSW.’ Mr Byrne said a better system of regulation would address up front the impacts on groundwater, especially but not exclusively from fracking, the treatment of waste water, the provision of community consultation prior to the granting of PELs and a
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Murwillumbah Fire Brigade officer Hugh Johnson checks over equipment in readiness for this Saturday’s open day at Murwillumbah, Tweed Heads and Banora Point fire stations from 10am to 2pm. Locals are encouraged to attend the family day where they will be offered some helpful tips on fire safety and prevention. Other activities include sausage sizzler station tours and firefighting displays. The open day marks the ends of Fire Prevention Week. With winter approaching it is now a good time to learn about fire continued on page 2 safety: visit www.fire.nsw.gov.au. Photo Jeff ‘Fire Blanket’ Dawson
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