Saffin answers a media critic as community disquiet over coal seam gas mining continues

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The Daily Examiner opinion piece is wrong on so many levels because the journalist seemingly did not check source documents to see if his initial impressions/recall was correct.

 

Firstly, no-one has signed away the rights to mine the Clarence Valley for gas just yet.

All the petroleum mining applications/titles currently held on valley land are for exploration/prospecting.

Thus far, no-one has been granted a full coal seam gas mining and production licence and, although the O’Farrell Coalition Government is giving every indication that it will grant such licences as a matter of course, the door has not completely closed on case by case refusal of permission to proceed or even a reversal of CSG mining policy.

 

Secondly, the Southern Cross University preliminary fugitive emissions research was careful not to draw the firm conclusions stated by the journalist. Though based on what is known about established CSG production around the world, it is highly likely that a significant number of drilling sites would have marked levels of fugitive emissions.

 

As for the strange assertion that Ms. Saffin would be forced to toe the party line and vote in favour of the CSG industry if she was a state politician. This game of what if? flies in the face of the NSW Labor Opposition’s current policy position which is taking a more cautious approach to the issue.

 

Opposition Leader John Robertson is calling on the Government to suspend all current Coal Seam Gas exploration licenses to protect the State's precious water resources.
"Coal Seam Gas has the potential to damage our drinking water and compromise food security," said Mr Robertson.
"The Government must immediately suspend all Coal Seam Gas exploration licenses before irreparable damage is caused to ground water and aquifers.
"The NSW Opposition is also calling on the Government to cease issuing Coal Seam Gas extraction licenses and refuse any applications to expand existing operations.
"Until a water-tight regulatory framework is in place based on independent scientific research and conclusive evidence, we should not be allowing Coal Seam Gas mining to proceed unabated. [10 November 2011]

 

"Barry O'Farrell needs to heed the warning from scientists, experts and local communities and suspend all Coal Seam Gas exploration licences in NSW from today.
"The impacts of Coal Seam Gas mining on the environment are still not fully understood and the Government needs to hit the pause button on this industry before it's too late." [9 February 2012]

 

Despite the loose language used in The Daily Examiner opinion piece it is good to see a young journalist recognise the risk and take an anti-CSG mining stance, but one has to have some sympathy for Ms. Saffin’s response published in the same newspaper on 29 November 2012:
 

MP's response to DEX editorial
In Tuesday's editorial, reporter Lachlan Thompson attacked my credibility in speaking out over coal seam gas mining.
In response, I would like to provide members of the public with how I see it.
As a Federal Government backbencher it is not in my power to stop CSG mining with the stroke of a pen, particularly as mining approvals are state-based.
But that is not to say that I can't do anything.
All governments support mining and as elected leaders and community leaders it is incumbent upon us to lead where we can, to have the industry get it right.
Since early last year farmers and a broad cross-section of local residents have been coming to me to raise their concerns about CSG exploration and mining.
People come to me because they want me to speak out, to do what I can.
 I have always worked to protect our environment and our economy at the regional level.
I started my own research into this issue to see where the power lay to act on this.
I pushed the Federal Minister for the Environment, Tony Burke, to explore the nature and extent of his power vis-a -vis the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act and the Federal Water Act.
But as I pointed out in my first statement on CSG in June 2011, mining and exploration, including the regulation of chemicals used in fracking, is primarily regulated by the states. This is not trying to blame but to inform about where responsibility lies. I kept talking to Minister Burke and Federal Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig about a co-ordinated approach with the states, and talked to independent MP Tony Windsor about bioregional water assessments.
In fact it was an adviser in the Prime Minister's office who was working on it, who said after reading my second statement, that he saw there was a way.
At the end of last year, Minister Burke announced the Independent Expert Scientific Committee to do bioregional assessments and oversee research along with a new National Partnership Agreement with the states that they take into account the Committee's advice over CSG and large coal mining projects.
I do not just speak out without taking action and following through.
I have been trying to build a case for having the mining for CSG requests considered carefully, taking into account water and the cumulative impacts.
I have done this by providing factual information, and by challenging the notion that if we don't have CSG mining we will be bankrupt and run out of gas.
This week in Parliament I spoke again on CSG and spelt out the National Water Commission's latest position on this and once again highlighted the Commission's point that: "the consequences of not managing the water risk and uncertainties associated with the economic benefits of CSG are substantial."
I do my research.
Lachlan claims to have the utmost respect for me.
I do believe him and thank him and a way of demonstrating this respect would be to do his research. My statements are on the public record and available on my website janellesaffin.com.au.
Janelle Saffin
Federal Member for Page