 |
Coal
seam gas exploration and extraction is facing rapid exponential growth
across Australia, in particular the Sydney basin - all too
quickly assessed, exhibited for 30 days and approved under our current
legislation, before environmental and community
groups can
even digest the proposals. As csg companies have traditionally used
highly environmentally damaging hydraulic
fracturing to
extract greater levels of gas, it is essential that this
industry is suspended until full extensive and intensive environmental
impact studies are done, and every surrounding community consulted.
Please e-sign the letter
below, adding any comment you'd like to include, and
with a single click email the government ministers listed in
the panel. Names & details will be not shared with any
third-party.
|
|
Dear Ministers
Re:
Moratorium on
coal seam gas& liquid natural gas mining in Australia
I
object to the Federal and State governments' broad approval of coal
seam gas exploration and LNG processing throughout our farm,
conservation and water catchment lands, and demand all CSG drilling and
extraction be suspended until these issues are resolved:
.
Given the recent csg contamination incidents in the Queensland Surat
Basin by Australia Pacific LNG, Cougar Energy in Kingaroy and AGL in
the Hunter Valley NSW, it is clear the exploration companies are given
far too much autonomy. Authority, access and cost reimbursement must be
given to non-pecuniary environmental organisations to monitor the
companies' gas exploration and extraction.
.
A study of Environmental Assessments submitted to the Department of
Planning reveal that many lots for core drilling and extraction are
selected because they are already on disturbed land, and given the
environmental nod because according to the exploration company paid
assessor, no endangered fauna or flora reside on that lot/s.
Yet
the lots are not monitored for a full four-season cycle, nor wildlife
migratory movement, nor the impact on the biodiversity, soil fertility
& water purity on adjacent lots and 'downstream.'
Full
environment impact assessments need to be conducted by non-pecuniary,
fully qualified professionals from a bank or pool of individuals who
won't be penalised or blacklisted in the future for submitting a
negative or pro-development assessment.
.
Fines for environmental damage should exceed the potential profits
generated by the deliberate or accidental damage, and should be fully
enforced. (eg a $100,000 fine for illegal land clearing will not
dissuade a developer that is likely to make a $2,000,000 profit on the
degraded and likely to be rezoned land)
.
State and Federal legislation, such as the NSW State Environmental
Planning Policy 2007 should be amended to conserve and protect our
water catchment, conservation lands and agriculture lands from mining,
petroleum and gas exploration. It is incredibly short-sighted and
avaricious for Mining and Petroleum exploration to have priority over
the environment and agriculture. What good will
billions of
$ profit to overseas companies such as Santos or Peabody do for
Australia if we can no longer trust our water supply, and have to
import the bulk of our food to feed our nation?
All
Federal and State governments need to employ a system of transparency
for the planning of degradation, exploration, extraction and impact on
the land that we all own. The CSG industry as it stands in
Australia may generate billions of dollars for large overseas companies
for the next 30 years, but is likely to cost our country many
billions of dollars in lost farm production, contaminated drinking
water , health issues and biodiversity loss.
Yours sincerely,
|