Irrigators face water cuts while CSG pumps onSubmission to parliamentary inquiry
“I am very alarmed at the social disruption, depression, anger, violence, and political chaos that the CSG industry appears set to inflict on Australia.”
Off Limits
Now rehabilitation sounds great in theory, but farmers here say cropping is a precision science, as demonstrated by this re-levelling of cotton fields damaged in the last wet season.
BEN SULLIVAN: “I don’t see how you can take something out from lower down, that it’s not going to subside on the top and that’s going to change the way water flows and it’s going to make it near impossible to grow crops. And we’ve asked to take us somewhere and prove to us so we can feel safe in ourselves and our kids’ future to show us where this has been done, but I’m still waiting.”
Gas Inquiry Hears Widespread Concern
Dr Somerville provided a “compelling and thought-provoking testimony foreshadowing the personal and social traumas that the arrival of the coal seam gas industry is likely to bring,” parliamentary committee deputy chair and Greens MLC Jeremy Buckingham told New Matilda.
In his written submission to the committee Somerville said: “I am very alarmed at the social disruption, depression, anger, violence, and political chaos that the CSG industry appears set to inflict on Australia.
CSG needs better regulation
Farmers are not against coal seam gas exploration but need it to be environmentally sustainable, says Lock the Gate president Drew Hutton.
Is coal-seam gas worth the risk?
THE discovery of the Great Artesian Basin in 1848, paved the way for the opening up of the outback and the development of the nation’s sheep and cattle industries. Vast tracts of arid land in Queensland, and parts of northern NSW and South Australia, finally had access to a reliable water supply. That groundwater remains […]
Mining on farm land
A wonderful and informative program from Alan Jones about the “agricultural vandalism” that politicians are engaging in – and the price they will pay at the next election. He said that the governments’ “endless pursuit of mining money” must end – they must realise that we can’t eat coal!!
Coal Seam Gas traumatising farmers
Farmers will become more violent, depressed and even suicide as they face the biggest threat ever to their mental health unless there’s a change to current mining policies.
Coal seam gas sucks up water
AUSTRALIA’S coal seam gas industry could extract an average of 300 gigalitres from groundwater systems every year for the next 25 years, experts predict.
That amount of water would be more than half as much as is presently extracted from the Great Artesian Basin each year.
The “conservative” projection is contained in a submission from the National Water Commission that was among hundreds put to a NSW parliamentary inquiry into coal seam gas.
Talk of no toxicity case
SEAM stimulation sounds like something from a pornographic film. But it’s the new term for ‘fracking’ being used by the coal seam gas industry.
Oil, gas licences ignite demands for overhaul
Under the present process, when exploration licences are granted, there is no requirement for specific environmental issues to be addressed in detail, with no public exhibition or consultation requirements, he said. ”Title renewals are equally problematic, with no clear, objective tests which the minister must apply and no public consultation requirements. There should be a rigorous process introduced to apply before titles are granted with full public transparency.”
An estimated 5.5 million hectares of petroleum exploration titles have expired with no information available on the status of these licences or how they are assessed for renewal.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/oil-gas-licences-ignite-demands-for-overhaul-20110918-1kg5i.html#ixzz1YuzycQlr