Wednesday 2 October 2013

Is the Abbott Government intent on removing the planned buffer zones in Casino to benefit coal seam gas miner Metgasco?


The Northern Star 26 September 2013:

CSG regulations in NSW have also come under pressure from outspoken new Federal Resources Minister Ian Macfarlane, who since coming to office has gone from sympathising with opponents of the industry to calling for its urgent expansion - particularly in NSW - and referring to CSG activists as "anarchists".
The Minister has specifically cast doubt on whether the residential exclusion zones should apply to regional towns like Casino, telling Guardian Australia: "the bottom line is … it needs to be a buffer from major urban population centres not from hamlets, and the gas companies are saying the system in NSW right now is simply not practical or workable".
So is the Abbott Government going to further encourage the NSW Coalition Government to allow its draft buffer zone legislation to lapse?
Does Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Federal Resources Minister Ian Macfarlane and Federal Nationals MP for Page Kevin Hogan intend to redefine this Northern Rivers county town (est. population 10,558) as a hamlet?

Will their NSW Government counterparts do more than display token resistance to any firm proposal to remove buffer zones from some regional towns and villages? 
This is Casino NSW from the air......


These homes and commercial buildings are part of Casino's streetscapes......



* Images found at Google Images and realestate.com.au

No comments: