Thursday April 8, 2021
Volume 36 No. 12
$1
inc. GST
The Cobar Weekly Queensland driver caught travelling 193km/hr Pg 2
Locals share their stories for outback project Pg 3
$2.7Million grant to seal Wilga Downs Road Pg 4
Landholders concerned about gas exploration A group of 218 western area community members concerned about how proposed gas exploration of the Yathong-Ivanhoe and Neckarboo Troughs would affect their future attended a community meeting in Ivanhoe last week. Department of Planning representatives Mike Young (Executive Director of Energy, Industry and Compliance), Matthew Riley (Director of Energy and Resource Policy) and Kate Leischke (Senior Policy Officer for Energy and Resources) addressed the meeting of YINAA (Yathong-Ivanhoe Neckarboo Aquifer Alliance) and community members at the Ivanhoe Hall last Tuesday. The meeting was called by YINNA so that the sentiment of the community would go on record regarding their views on the Far West Gas Exploration Proposal. Many community members had expressed their dissatisfaction, frustration and anxiety relating to the consultation process to date. Cobar Shire Councillor Bob Sinclair was among those who attended the meeting. “There were people from a wide area including some from Hillston, across to Booligal and back over to the Balranald Road, some attendees were from the Cobar Shire (including myself) and also a chap came from up Gunnedah way,” Cr Sinclair reported. He said the community were united in their stance against the gas exploration proposal with many landholders concerned as to what would happen to their water tables. “There were a lot of good questions and concerns raised,” Cr Sinclair said. “There’s some very big organic lamb producers in this area wondering about how their ‘organic’ status will be affected on their properties.”
Cr Sinclair said questions were also raised about how gas exploration would affect biosecurity on their properties. “The other big concern was the supply of water in the towns like Ivanhoe which pumps a lot of their water from bores and can only obtain access to water from Wylandra Creek when it gets a flow.”
Cr Sinclair said the general consensus from the meeting was that local landholders strongly opposed the proposed exploration. The meeting called for the Yathong-Ivanhoe and Neckarboo Troughs to be removed from the proposal. Three motions came from the meeting. Continued Page 2.
A group of more than 200 local residents (and others from further afield) attended a public information meeting at Ivanhoe last week to find out more about proposed gas exploration of the Yathong-Ivanhoe and Neckarboo Troughs. ▪ Photo contributed