Letter to the Editor
The phenomenal growth of the Lock the Gate Alliance with membership of 170 community groups and thousands of individual members is testament to the deep concerns the broad community has regarding land use conflict in NSW and beyond.
The Alliance welcomes recent state government land use policy changes that include residential exclusion zones from CSG and urges the government to protect all the residents of NSW no matter where they live.
Our member groups work together to protect our land and water from inappropriate mining and we believe there is much yet to do to restore balance in NSW.
Productive agricultural lands that provide a sustainable future for regional community’s are still under threat despite the Gateway process. Measures to protect water catchments and ground water are omitted.
Furthermore, additional mining policy changes announced in August that make the “significance of the resource” the prime planning consideration throw a cloud over the work done to date.
We will be writing to the Premier to express these concerns and to seek more time for our member groups to properly consider the policy changes.
The Alliance encourages member groups to make their own comment directly to the Government and to contact the Alliance in order to include their information in the Lock the Gate submission.
Phil Laird
National Campaigner
Lock the Gate Alliance