Lock the Gate Alliance says the government is not doing enough to address the health concerns of residents affected by coal seam gas development in the Tara residential estate.

“Health Minister Lawrence Springborg told broadcaster Alan Jones that he would direct his Department to investigate,” said Vice President Jacinta Green.

“Tara residents are still waiting to see the terms of reference for this important study.

The announcement of a gas forum to unveil technologies to combat coal seam gas pollutants at this year's Queensland Gas Conference & Exhibition, comes as some surprise to Lock The Gate Alliance. 

Lock the Gate Alliance Vice President Jacinta Green said, "All this time, gas companies have being trying to convince impacted communities that coal seam gas is a clean technology." 

"Either the people developing these technologies have been wasting their time, or the gas companies have been misleading the communities they have been impacting," she continued.

The Lock the Gate Alliance says the Newman government’s Greentape Reduction Bill, which will see major amendments to the Environment Protection Act, could have dire consequences for Queenslanders’ health.

“Dismantling legislation to streamline approvals for mining and gas developments will almost inevitably lead to the degradation of our soil and water resources and air quality,” said Lock the Gate spokesperson Sarah Moles.

“Healthy environments make healthy people. Unhealthy ones make people ill. 

Lock The Gate Alliance has added its voice to the chorus of criticism from farming and conservation groups over the revised NSW Aquifer Interference Policy
  
Lock the Gate Vice President Jacinta Green said community interest in and concern about the potential for contamination of groundwater by coal seam gas developments required an open and transparent approach from the NSW Government.

"The policy is not available on the NSW Government website and it appears to have been given to a very few select people, who apparently have been given very little time to respond."

Statements on radio this morning from Queensland's Health Minister, Lawrence Springborg, that almost no residents from the Tara-Chinchilla area are presenting to medicos with complaints related to air pollution are simply wrong.

A round-up this morning by the Lock the Gate Alliance has found at least 30 people have presented in recent times at either Tara Medical Centre, Tara Hospital, Toowoomba Hospital or at hospitals in Brisbane with such symptoms as chronic headaches, nausea, nose bleeds, skin rashes and vomiting.

Many families report headaches, skin rashes and nosebleeds but won't report due to the belief nobody will do anything about it.