The news overnight that the Victorian Coalition would vote in support of the ban on unconventional gas has left the Turnbull Government increasingly isolated and out of step with its own party and communities across Australia in its blind support for the industry.
The Turnbull Government’s criticism of state gas moratoria flies in the face of the policies now held by Coalition parties in three states - Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania - and widespread community sentiment expressed in polling, says Lock the Gate.
“The move by the Victorian Coalition to support the unconventional gas ban has left the Turnbull Government weak and exposed in its ill-considered push to foist risky gas mining on unwilling communities across Australia” said Lock the Gate National Coordinator, Phil Laird
“The Victorian Coalition has dealt the Federal Government a heavy blow today and taken all the wind out of the sails of Turnbull’s gas scare campaign.
“The reality is that state moratoria on unconventional gas are a result of the failure of the gas industry to gain a social licence from regional communities.
“There is no point trying to foist a dangerous and unwanted industry on regional people. There are clear alternatives to unconventional gas and the Turnbull government should drop its scare campaign and get started on renewable alternatives
“Communities across Australia, and three Coalition state parties, have now spoken and it is time for Josh Frydenberg and Malcolm Turnbull to listen.
“Numerous different polls across the country have consistently shown an average of 84% of people are concerned by the impact of unconventional gas on water resources and farmland.
“In Victoria, polling shows only 9.7 per cent of Victorians are opposed to the ban.
“Recent whistleblower allegations of contamination, coverups and regulatory failure by CSG miner Origin Energy have confirmed the worst fears of communities about the risks and impacts of unconventional gas,” Mr Laird said.