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.

Coal seam gas companies are 'getting away with blue murder' despite mounting evidence from around the country of the environmental damage they are causing, according to Lock the Gate Alliance.

Lock The Gate has responded with dismay to news today that Santos and Eastern Star Gas have been fined only $3,000 for breaking environment laws in the Pilliga forest by polluting a local creek system with coal seam gas waste water.

"The pattern of environmental damage, blanket denial by gas companies, government inaction and then weak and inadequate penalties that has occurred in the Pilliga is being repeated in coal seam gas operations across the country" said Drew Hutton, President of Lock the Gate Alliance.

Residents of the Tara residential estate this morning blockaded the headquarters of coal seam gas company QGC in protest at the increasing numbers of local residents reporting sick and pointing the finger of blame at emissions from nearby gas fields.

Traffic to and from the company's headquarters was backed up for 8 to ten kilometres during the early morning change of shift, according to local police.

QGC's Kate field is located on the estate and residents are blaming emissions from this field, including from the methane venting system that is built into the pipelines.

Residents on the western Darling Downs last night were lodging bitter complaints with the Queensland Environment Department after a temperature inversion on the Downs brought gas from local coal seam gas operations into their community, making people ill.

Residents of the Tara residential estate are complaining this morning of having spent the night with severe headaches and nausea and are directing their concern at the nearby Kate coal seam gas field.

Lock the Gate Alliance president, Drew Hutton, said residents in the area were attempting to work cooperatively with government to address the health issues associated with living in the middle of a gas field but were becoming increasingly desperate as they watch members of their families experiencing chronic health problems such as nose and ear bleeds, headaches, nausea and sleeplessness.