State opposition talk tough on CSGHeffernan calls for no-go farmland zones
LIBERAL senator Bill Heffernan has suggested prime farmland be set aside as “no go” areas for the coal seam gas industry, creating a new political headache for Opposition leader Tony Abbott.
Alan Jones comments on protecting our land
In Alan Jones’ interview with Tony Abbott on Friday, Abbott said two things: he said that if you don’t want something to happen on your land, you ought to have the right to say “NO”. And he also said, as Opposition Leader he was obliged to be “the Voice for the Voiceless” – two great […]
An almighty clash of values above and below ground
“But this issue of CSG and coalmining has brought a new dimension. CSG involves many wells and hydraulic fracturing, which means pumping huge volumes of a water-chemical-sand mix into the seams to release the gas. The coalmining involves ripping up good farmland for a vast open pit scar on the landscape.”
Senate hearing spotlight on coal seam gas
“Why should our ratepayers be threatened with legal action, why should their lives be disrupted, why should our beautiful farming lands be ruined, and why should we have to put up with this because of government’s gross mismanagement?” Ms Humphries said.
Debate rages over coal seam gas plans
“We have this dreadful meddling from governments that have grossly mismanaged the whole economy and I understand they need the mineral resources to balance the books.
But in 20 years’ time there’s no point in having the books balanced and the people starving, it’s ridiculous.”
Landholders unite against coal seam gas companies
“These companies are threatening to force into court landowners who don’t wish to have these companies on their property,” he been said yesterday.
Licensing Arrangements in the NSW portion of Great Artesian Basin
With total entitlements in the Eastern Recharge Groundwater Source currently exceeding 32,000 ML/yr, the Eastern Recharge Groundwater Source is classified as a high risk of over-extraction. If everyone extracted water to the level of their licensed entitlement, there would not be enough water for all existing water users and to protect the groundwater source in the medium to long term.
CSG mining causes cancer, experts warn
Coal seam gas (CSG) mining can cause cancer and harm unborn babies, according to a group of medical experts giving evidence to a Senate committee.
The six experts, who include a Queensland government epidemiologist, say the state’s ban on the use of cancer-causing chemicals collectively known as BTEX in CSG mining doesn’t protect the community from health risks.
Rural inhabitants up in arms over wanton destruction
The plight of Jondaryan and its people has become a metaphor for the deliberate destruction of the Darling Downs by state and federal governments and their lapdogs at the Toowoomba Regional Council.
For them, farmers and communities have become inconsequential in the rush for coal and gas royalties and, with a brand of bureaucratic bullying borrowed from the Soviets, farmers have seen their sovereignty stripped while they are driven off their land.
Fresh food for rural discontent
Is widespread anger in the bush over the march of coalmining, the loss of productive farmland, the spread of coal seam gas exploration and its perceived threat to the Great Artesian Basin really a proxy for much deeper political misgivings? If so, who is at fault and who has most to lose?