A motion at the National Assembly of Local Government in Canberra calling for a ban on coal seam gas mining was narrowly defeated yesterday.
The motion, from the Griffith City Council, called on the federal government to intervene and ban all CSG activities on agricultural land in order to protect the national interest and Australia’s ability to continue to produce clean safe food. It fell short of being adopted by just seven votes, out of a total 300 councils present at the Assembly.
Lock the Gate National Coordinator Phil Laird said, "So far, more than 53 individual councils and two council representative bodies across three states have passed motions that aimed to restrict the spread of invasive unconventional gas mining, and this motion today is an important corollary to those actions by local councils.
"It's incredibly disappointing that just as large numbers of local councils are calling for increased Federal regulation of CSG drilling, the Federal Government is moving in the opposite direction, voting in the lower house last week to hand the CSG water trigger back to state governments and gut Federal biodiversity controls.
"We want to thank Griffith Council for taking the initiative to put this motion to the Assembly, and are heartened that it received such wide support. This battle is local, and it is national, and it's only just getting started."
Link to the list of 53 councils that have already passed motions expressing concern at CSG or calling for CSG drilling to be banned: http://www.lockthegate.org.au/lock_your_council