A moratorium on coal seam gas development in New South Wales would be a tremendous relief for communities who face losing precious groundwater and social cohesion if the industry is allowed to run rampant, according to Lock the Gate Alliance.
Independent NSW MP Justin Field’s CSG Moratorium Bill is due to be debated tonight, and Lock the Gate Alliance NSW spokesperson Georgina Woods said all political parties should do the right thing by their constituents and support it.
“Farmers have spent more than a decade battling Santos’ destructive Narrabri CSG project, which would pockmark the Pilliga with 850 gaswells, risking contamination and depletion of groundwater in the Great Artesian Basin, which is the lifeblood of western NSW,” she said.
“Santos has been responsible for pollution events and spills at its exploration sites in the Pilliga before, and there’s every chance this will happen again if the company is given the go ahead.
“As the parliament found earlier this year, the majority of Chief Scientist’s recommendations on CSG are still not in place, so this polluting, toxic industry absolutely should not be allowed to continue in NSW.
“But this is not just about Santos’ Narrabri project, as destructive as it may be.
“There are still 12 expired petroleum licences that cover much of the north west of NSW, which could be reignited if the Narrabri project gets the go ahead. We are calling on the National Party members of NSW Parliament to act on a motion passed by members of their own party calling for the wind up these zombie licences.
“Farmers have been through enough, particularly with the severe drought that has been hanging over their heads for years now. It is time our politicians recognised that and did their bit to thank the people who supply our food and fibre and supported this Bill.”