Coal Seam Gas: National Party MPs George, Gulaptis and Page receive a letter and an invitation to which none replied

 

 

On 13 February 2013 The Northern Star reported:

 

THREE Northern Rivers State Nationals MPs have ignored an invitation from the Federal Member for Page Janelle Saffin to take a united stand against coal seam gas in the region.

APN Newsdesk has seen the letter Ms Saffin wrote to Don Page (Ballina), Thomas George (Lismore) and Chris Gulaptis (Clarence) on January 25, in which she called on each of them to lobby for a statewide ban on CSG until more was known about the industry.....

 

Here is a copy of that letter:

 

                                   

Friday, January 25, 2013.

 

REF: PE.25.01.13.

 

The Honourable Don Page MP

NSW Minister for Local Government

NSW Minister for the North Coast

State Member for Ballina

 

The Honourable Thomas George MP

State Member for Lismore

 

The Honourable Chris Gulaptis MP

State Member for Clarence

 

Dear Don, Thomas and Chris,

 

I formally write to you all as a courtesy to update you on my advocacy on the watershed issue of Coal Seam Gas mining, done on behalf of thousands of my constituents in local communities in the Richmond and Clarence valleys.

 

Northern Rivers residents have made it abundantly clear that they are opposed to this unproven industry going forward because of the potential risks to our water and air, public health and productivity of our prime agricultural land.

 

While I realise that this is a difficult issue for you as State Government MPs, I respectfully call on you to influence Premier Barry O’Farrell and Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner to bring a halt to CSG activity until bioregional assessments are completed.

 

As long term residents of our region, I believe you appreciate that CSG protests at Ellangowan, Glenugie and Doubtful Creek, and Local Government Area-endorsed moratoriums, represent the widely held view in our electorates.

 

Not since the major demonstrations against a proposed rare earth plant at Tuncester, near Lismore, in the 1980s have the people of the Northern Rivers spoken so powerfully and in such a unified fashion against a threat to the natural environment and their way of life.

 

I’ve done a lot of research on Coal Seam Gas, and like a lot of people, when Metgasco came on the scene in Casino several years ago, I thought ‘great, natural gas’. However, I had to find out myself that it wasn’t great at all and this is why I started looking very carefully at what exploration drilling and gas wells do to our precious aquifers and groundwater.

 

I draw your attention to the attached National Water Commission’s position statement on Coal Seam Gas, which is current.

 

I lobbied Federal Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, The Honourable Tony Burke, to ensure that the Clarence-Morton Basin was a priority region for bioregional assessments to identify local water resources and any impacts from CSG and large coal mining.

 

Mr Burke’s Department has confirmed that the Grafton-based Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority has received $400,000 in Australian Government funding to conduct data gathering as part of the early stages of our bio-regional assessment.

 

These assessments are, of course, being done as part of the National Partnership Agreement with the States through COAG, under the purview of the Independent Expert Scientific Committee (IESC), relevant to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment Bill 2013.

 

And I am aware that the Northern Rivers Regional Organisation of Councils (NOROC) is looking at directing significant funds to Southern Cross University’s research arm to conduct baseline studies of water and air quality over the next three years or so.

 

These baseline studies should really be funded by the NSW Government, either directly or through a special levy raised from gas companies.

 

I also support Lock The Gate spokesman Michael McNamara’s latest call for the Northern NSW Local Health Network to take an active role in public health assessments of the chemicals used in CSG mining.

 

I attach my recent letters to NNSW LHN Chief Executive Chris Crawford and to Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing, The Honourable Catherine King MP, together with my major statements on CSG, for your information.

 

Don, Thomas and Chris, all of this should be enough to convince the NSW Government to pause and take stock of these genuine community concerns. It is within your power to adopt the precautionary principle and agitate for a State-wide moratorium.

 

I am happy to meet with you all to discuss a joint approach to CSG on behalf of the people of Page. There is too much at risk to do otherwise.

 

Kind regards,

 

Janelle Saffin MP

Federal Member for Page.