Coal seam and tight gas miner Metgasco Limited sets out on a deliberate collision course with Northern Rivers communities yet again

Coal seam and tight gas miner Metgasco Limited sets out on a deliberate collision course with Northern Rivers communities yet again and, just as before, it intends to drag the NSW Government and police along for the ride.

The Sydney Morning Herald 24 April 2015:

Energy company Metgasco says it will need police to escort gas drilling equipment onto its site on the NSW north coast following a court victory overturning a suspension imposed on it by the state government.

Chief executive Peter Henderson said protesters would return to the site at Bentley once the company seeks to start drilling in about three months' time.

"When we drill now we know there are going to be protesters and we will need police in there to uphold our rights," he said.

"Otherwise NSW will be the state of anarchy."….. [my red bolding]

The Northern Star 24 April 2015:

PROTESTERS will continue to fight Metgasco at Bentley even if the State Government passes legislation banning protests at drilling sites, Ian Gaillard says.

Mr Gaillard, of Gasfield Free Northern Rivers, said locals would not allow Metgasco to start drilling at Bentley and called on the State Government to revoke all gas licences…..

Clarence MP Chris Gulaptis has also expressed his unhappiness with the decision.

"I am extremely disappointed with the decision of the NSW Supreme Court to quash the decision of the NSW Government to suspend Metgasco's drilling licence at Bentley," Mr Gulaptis said.

"I will be urging the Minister to seek every opportunity to appeal this decision because I believe it is wrong."….

Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan says it would be "foolish" for Metgasco to consider returning to the region, adding the legal avenues over their licence suspension are far from exhausted.
Mr Hogan said he had been in touch with state colleagues who were already in talks with Resources and Energy Minister Anthony Roberts about grounds for an appeal. He said he was "extremely disappointed" by the news.
"We do not want CSG in the Northern Rivers and we need to do everything we can to make sure that is what happens.
"This isn't over, while they may be feel happy with the decision today, I don't think it's over legally and it's certainly not over as far as them coming back into our community to do what they want to do."
Mr Hogan added it would be "quite foolish" for Metgasco to consider returning to Bentley in the near future.
"I think this community has shown very strongly that they do not want coal-seam gas in this region," he said.
"While they have won this court case, there are still legal options for the state government to take, and the first one would be an appeal.
"I think the suspension should remain until that appeal is heard."

 Lismore City Mayor Jenny Dowell on Twitter:

Excerpt from NSW Greens media release 24 April 2015:

Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith said, “Despite the court victory, Metgasco should heed the clear message from the community that they want a gas field free Northern Rivers.  Metgasco should pack up and leave. “If Metgasco try to drill again, the community will resist and I will be standing with them.

The Knitting Nannas Against Gas (KNAG) on Facebook, 25 April 2015:

Excerpt from an editorial in The Northern Star, 25 April 2015:

If past history is anything to go by, protesters will likely be setting up camp at Bentley in the very near future.

So are we back to square one on this issue? Or has the government's election results on the Northern Rivers taught them any lessons?

Considering the government trumpeted its buy back of CSG licences during the last election campaign, perhaps they should extend it to the licence that covers Bentley.

Otherwise we are in for more of the same.

Another blockade at Bentley and the government forced to make the difficult decision of sending hundreds of police officers north, at taxpayers' expense, to remove thousands of protesters.

The NSW Supreme Court has delivered a sharp rebuke to the government which is going to cost them a lot of money.

But the circumstances that led them to the suspension still remain.

Comments published in The Northern Star on 25 April 2015:

Lynne Stebbing: There is going to be trouble!

Hugh Nicholson: This decision only relates to the way the government went about suspending Metgasco's license.

It has nothing to do with the reason for the suspension - namely Metgasco's failure to consult with the community. Go away Metgasco.

From Land Water Future tweet on 24 April 2015:

UPDATE

The Northern Star 27 April 2015:

Bentley landowners Meg and Peter Nielsen believe that if energy company Metgasco returns to the region public resistance will be even stronger than it was at last year's blockade.

"It will be on for young and old," Mr Nielsen declared.

"Our resolve will never turn. Metgasco would be absolutely foolish to try it again."

But the couple believes the NSW Government will "see common sense" before it comes to that.

Knitting Nannas' three year long yarn outside pro-CSG MP's office in Lismore continues

The NSW North Coast Nationals never learn.

At the 28 March 2015 state election they lost one of their safe seats, Ballina, and suffered a 19.6% swing to Labor in Tweed, a 22.4% swing to Labor in Clarence and a 22.5% swing to Labor in Tweed where Thomas George only survived on preferences - yet they tried to flex their political muscle on the one issue that saw so many voters walk away from the National Party at the ballot box.

NSW Police confront Knitting Nannas: Image from @LockTheGate 10 April 215

The Northern Star 9 April 2015:

A group of 10 nannas had yesterday just settled in to their usual positions on the pavement outside Mr George's office yesterday when they were approached by a group of police who informed them the act was illegal.

Eltham Knitting Nanna Judy Summers said she was told by a senior policewoman the group "had no reason to be here as CSG is done and dusted".

The police left after issuing a warning that the group would face more serious action if they returned next week.

But Ms Summers vowed the group were "not going anywhere" and were seeking legal advice over the issue.

"I told her it is not done and dusted; until both licenses are cancelled we will continue to be here," Ms Summers said.

"We are not obstructing the pathway."….

The Knitting Nannas [should] move their weekly protests from Thomas George's office to the boat sculpture at Molesworth Street, Lismore Nationals president John Barnes has said.

Speaking on ABC Radio this morning, Mr Barnes said he was against CSG but the Nannas were a "nuisance" and they should move to "the HMAS Jenny Dowell", referring to the sculpture.

"I don't care what they are protesting for, if it is CSG or the man on the moon," Mr Barnes said.
"They should give the streets back to the people.".....

Later the same day:

THE GREENS NSW coal seam gas spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham wants to know if the government has an agenda to 'shut the Nannas down'.

Following ABC reports that suggested National Party members initiated the confrontation between police and Knitting Nannas on Thursday at their usual knit-in in front of Thomas George's office, Mr Buckingham today called on Deputy Premier Troy Grant to clarify whether his party and government wanted the Nannas shut down.

The 'post-election police crackdown', according to Mr Buckingham is 'a ridiculous attack on the democratic right to peaceful protest'.

What happened two days later was entirely predictable.

Image from @CSGFreeNR 11 April 2015 

The Northern Star 11 April 2015:

POLICE moves to stop the Knitting Nannas against Gas staging protests outside Lismore MP Thomas George's office have spawned a huge outcry since the group was told they were breaking the law on Thursday.

But was it a planned move to shut down the regular "knit-ins" - or a case of mistaken identity?

Knitting Nanna Clare Twomey said the Nannas may have been "implicated by association" over a complaint from another protest - not involving the Nannas - during which a female employee of Thomas George's allegedly injured herself while trying to avoid bags of manure.

Local police were not answering questions on the matter yesterday and the Nannas said they had legal advice their protests were within the law.

Ms Twomey said the group had also received overwhelming public support, and the police intervention had only served to fire them up.

Just as predictable was the public slapdown later on that same Saturday of John Barnes by his leader, who is understandably nervous about the party's poor showing at the recent election.

Anti-gas group the Knitting Nannas Against Gas are welcome to continue their regular "knit-ins" outside Lismore MP Thomas George's office NSW Deputy Premier and Nationals Leader Troy Grant has said.

Mr Grant has today issued a statement demanding Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham apologise for suggesting the government wanted to get rid of the Nannas.

The statement follows a furore over a police visit to the Nannas on Thursday, where officers told members of the group they would have to stop their protests outside Lismore MP Thomas George's office.

He said Mr George was out of the electorate when the complaint was made and he had no involvement in it or knowledge of it.

       

                                Go the Grans! 

Ex-National Party member and local contrarian invites a response on coal seam gas

The Daily Examiner’s letters column was the scene of yet another slap down of a wannabee gadfly last week…

The letter

CSG scare success

I was somewhat taken aback by the successes of the Greens at the state elections. Their scare campaign against coal seam gas mining was clearly successful.

I will not waste time by going over old ground but I do suggest that the State itself commissions a demonstration gas field under the control of an appropriate government body to counter the fear-mongering that threatens the establishment of a much needed industry that will boost the prosperity of the region.

THOMAS MACINDOE

Yamba

6 April 2015

The response

Scare claim off target

Thomas Macindoe's assertions (DE April 6) that the recent high level of support for the Greens' in Ballina and Lismore was the result of a "scare campaign", is just plain wrong.

In fact I'd describe it as a truth dissemination exercise, and the fact that the Government and mining industry could not debunk that campaign was that they knew the anti-gas campaigners were right.

Thomas' comments were simply parroting those made the previous week by our local member trying to explain the 15% drop in his own vote, and can be excused as ignorance, something that cannot be said for Mr Gulaptis, who is in full possession of all the facts.

The suggestion that the government should set up a gas field, independent of the industry, to prove that unconventional gas mining is safe, is ridiculous. We already have two closely monitored gas fields under construction in NSW, one near Gloucester, and the other at Pilligar, and both operators have already been found guilty of polluting underground water supplies; supposedly banned BTEX chemicals turning up in water in the Gloucester operation, and Uranium in an aquifer in the Pilligar.

Further to that, the NSW chief scientist and engineer spent over a year investigating all aspects of the unconventional gas industry, at the government's behest, and found that the industry did pose risks, and that there would be negative consequences.

In Queensland, pollution events, fires, massive 'draw-down' of water in peoples bores, and methane pollution of bores that can be set on fire, have all been reported in the media, including 60 Minutes and other reputable sources. Fugitive gas emissions seeping out of the ground as a result of Hydraulic Fracturing, has seen levels of methane in the gas fields up to 5 times normal levels (see Southern Cross University research), that resulted in reports of health problems among children living in those gas fields.

Most if not all those families that suffered ill health have now been bought out by the industry, with convenient confidentiality clauses ensuring that there is still no recorded evidence linking their ill-health to the elevated gas levels.

The Nationals' loss of electoral support had nothing to do with a scare campaign, and everything to do with their failure to represent their constituents.

JOHN EDWARDS

South Grafton

9 April 2015

CSG a real worry

I am writing to respond the Mr Macindoe's letter in the DEX on Monday.

I am not sure what planet Thomas Macindoe has been living on for the past few years as there is simply no excuse to be so ignorant about the CSG issue.

With modern technology you can do your own research on anything or anyone.

To accuse the Greens of running a scare campaign is ludicrous when both the NSW Farmers and NSW CWA both came out publicly against CSG way before the NSW election.

The NSW Farmers also ran a campaign against the Nationals in the NSW election which beggars belief when farmers were once the life blood of the National Party. Even our former Governor General Marie Bashir has gone public against CSG.

And if that isn't convincing enough a world wide 'Go Fossil Free' campaign has already seen 180 institutions including universities and churches sell off their investments in coal, oil and gas in the UK and Australia.

Still not persuaded to sell your shares Mr Macindoe?

Maybe this might convince you.

Leading financial groups including Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and Standard and Poor's have also warned of the risk posed to fossil fuel investments by action on climate change.

A series of large funds and world banks have excluded coal and other highly polluting companies, including the world's largest sovereign wealth fund in Norway, which revealed it had dozens of coal companies earlier this year.

And finally last year, Rockefeller's withdrew their funds from fossil fuels.

Perhaps now the election is over you can stop believing all the National Party propaganda as well and do your own research. I hear the Yamba library has cheap wi-fi if you're not connected to the internet.

DEBRAH NOVAK

Yamba

10 April 2015

When the NSW gas industry comes to visit: "They say ignorance is bliss and little did I know that life as I knew it was about to change forever"

How it starts – with a knock at the door.

Excerpt from 2011 submission, by northern NSW beef cattle and mixed broad acre farmers Brenden Smith and Angie Smith to the NSW Legislative Council Inquiry Into Coal Seam Gas:

Our farms are situated in PEL 470 and we were approached by a representative from Planet Gas to put an exploration well on one of our properties. We were told it was only one well and it was nothing to worry about.  After further investigations, we found out it was going to be a series of wells with a pumping station on a neighbouring farm to join to a pipeline to take the gas to a major pipeline connecting to Gladstone in the North and Wellington and Newcastle in the south.  It seems all this had been arranged without notifying landholders or local councils. How can this be allowed to happen?  

What one community did about it.

Excerpt from a guest post in 1 Million Women by Angie Smith:

Prior to 2010 I didn't even know what coal seam gas was or that it was embedded in the coal seams deep under our farm. I had no idea what a Petroleum Exploration Licence was let alone that there was one covering our district called PEL470. Hydraulic fracturing was another language.

They say ignorance is bliss and little did I know that life as I knew it was about to change forever.

After a visit from a representative from Planet Gas seeking permission to drill a core hole on our land life went into overdrive. Being a fourth generation farmer I descend from a long line of agriculturalists. My husband is a successful, passionate farmer and our three children, although at university and school, are heavily involved with the running of our family farm. The land is not only in our blood but our hearts as well. Mining companies and governments thought they could establish a gas industry in some of the richest farming land in Australia. They didn't bank on the power of people.

Life became very different from the usual day to day running of the farm and family. Night reading became Petroleum Onshore Act 1991 and NSW Government Draft Strategic Regional Land use Plan. Neighbours were alerted and meetings were planned and email lists collated. Meetings with local, state and federal MP's were attended. Days spent at the legislative Council Inquiries. Letters were written.

Politicians from all parties came to our home to discuss CSG. The phone rang constantly. Involvement on an advisory committee enabled travel to Emerald, Springsure, Toowoomba, Chinchilla, Dalby, Gunnedah, Narrabri and Brisbane to meet with others farmers to learn from their experiences and realise that coexistence is not possible. Legal advice was sought. Lobbying of politicians became a daily occurrence. Meetings with the Chief Scientist and various other influential people became the norm. Every landowner in PEL470 was united and signed an objection to the licence renewal of PEL470.

On 14th October 2014 the Minister for Resources and Energy cancelled our licence.

People power had triumphed…..

NSW State Election 2015: Not happy, Mike!

Letter to the Editor in The Northern Star, 24 March 2015:

Poles apart

The NSW Lib/Nat state government wants to privatise the electricity network by leasing the distribution network for 99 years.

Most NSW residents will therefore never again see it in public hands and when the lease expires in 2114 it would probably get renewed for another 99 years meaning it will never return to public ownership.

The state will not benefit financially for another 99 years after blowing the original booty on a stack of hasty re-election promises.

As with all privatisation of the people's assets, staff are sacked, service declines and prices rise, just look to Telstra.

When Telstra was in government hands they were Australia's biggest employer and there were works yards in every town with trucks, tractors and local qualified Telstra linesmen ready to attend promptly to faults and new installations.

Now that is all gone, mostly contractors do the work, employment and training of school leavers has all but stopped, service doesn't exist and prices have risen.

The NSW Lib/Nat government claims we will not be affected on the Far North Coast, however Transgrid which supplies most of our power from the high voltage distribution network will be 100% privatised.

Maybe when the electricity prices go up we can resort to using the methane bubbling out of the ground for heating and cooking once the government covers our land in leaking CSG wells.

GARRY OWERS

Meerschaum Vale

Letter to the Editor in The Daily Examiner, 25 March 2015:

MP loses trust

BEFORE you vote remember that once the electricity network is sold off it's gone for good, and no amount of bleating from our ineffective member Chris Gulaptis is going to get it back or stop the Sydney-based liberals selling off Essential Energy at a latter date.

This is the same member for Clarence who had to clarify with his party who he represented over the closing of the Grafton goal, i.e. his party or the people who elected him.

How can he be trusted to look after his electorate?

How can he be trusted again?

Paul Macdermott

Lawrence

Letter to the Editor in The Northern Star, 25 March 2015:

Poles an asset

Why sell a publicly owned monopoly guaranteeing a $1.7 billion return every year?

Privatising publicly owned utilities like electricity assets and water supplies puts states at risk of being held to ransom, especially if foreign owned (e.g., South Australian electricity assets are Chinese owned). There is significant foreign interest in our electricity assets. How simple to cripple a state by turning off the electricity supply.

The $20 billion from leasing these assets is illusory. In truth the NSW public sector's net financial worth will be substantially reduce adding $1-2 billion annually to the budget deficit, weakening the state's financial position.

It displays the worst features of past privatisations of public assets with the financial loss at the top end of the range of past ventures. 'Asset recycling' won't occur as non-income generating assets - hospitals, schools, roads - will replace an asset generating income.

The claim that 49% of the poles and wires will be leased is very misleading. One hundred per cent of Transgrid and 50.4% of both Ausgrid and Endeavour Energy will be privatised representing about 67% of electricity assets, not the 49% oft quoted by the coalition. Government will lose control over the underlying infrastructure.

Who wants a Premier with only a Plan A or a government that deceives the electorate for political gain?

MEG PICKUP

Ballina

Baird Government and NSW North Coast Nationals continue to betray Northern Rivers communities and their sustainable regional economies

Gasfield Free Northern Rivers Media Release, 11 March 2015:

Northern Rivers under even greater threat of invasive gasfields.

                   

Today’s announcement that AJ Lucas has bought PEL 445, shows that they have set their sights firmly on the Northern Rivers for gas exploration. 

AJ Lucas is the biggest drilling company in Australia, they own seventy seven drill rigs, and have the capacity and resources to commence exploration drilling operations as soon as necessary approvals are in place. 

Ian Gaillard, Spokesperson for Gasfield Free Northern Rivers said "Our region is now threatened more than ever with Queensland drillers probably looking to the Northern Rivers to meet export gas shortfalls at Gladstone. 

"This development makes it more likely that the instant the election is over, if the Liberal National Government is returned to power, Northern Rivers communities will be facing the spectre of a gas drilling invasion. 

"Lismore, Kyogle, Nimbin, Coraki, out west past Urbenville and right down to Maclean will all be up for grabs. As will the regional water supply areas that service major population 

centres like Ballina and Byron Bay. 

"The transfer of PEL 445 to AJ Lucas makes the outcome of the upcoming election even more critical for the future of our region. 

"This news will galvanise people in the region to redouble their efforts over the coming weeks to demand a commitment from local National Party candidates who are the only party refusing to support community calls for a Gasfield Free Northern Rivers."

Coal Seam Gas and mineral exploration are issues in the NSW state election of 28 March 2015 right across Northern Rivers catchment areas

On Twitter 10 March 2015

MEDIA RELEASE: 9^th March 2015

Licence cancellation another cynical vote grabbing exercise by NSW Government

Gasfield Free Northern Rivers have responded with ambivalence to the announcement today that a petroleum licence in the south of the region has been cancelled. Resources Minister Anthony Roberts travelled to Grafton to announce that gas company Clarence Moreton Resources had agreed to hand in PEL 478.

“This is the cancellation of a small inactive licence. The fact remains that the current Liberal-National Government is actively supporting the roll out of the CSG industry across large parts of our region,” said Gasfield Free spokesperson Elly Bird.

“This government has already renewed Metgasco’s most active CSG licence areas (PELs 13 and 16), as well as the largest licence area in the region (Igas’s PEL 445), which covers Lismore, Nimbin and Kyogle and parts of the water supply area of major towns across the region, including Ballina and Byron Bay.”

“This is a cynical and tokenistic attempt by the Liberal-National government to look like they are doing something on this issue when they could have acted decisively long ago by refusing to renew the Metgasco and Igas licences that were quietly renewed despite repeated calls from the community for their cancellation.”

“The communities of this region are not stupid and will not be deceived by this latest gimmick from the government. They are angry that our local Nationals MP’s have the audacity to repeatedly ignore the community’s wishes over many years only to mock them with token actions at election time,” she said.

MEDIA RELEASE

Janet Cavanaugh

Greens Candidate for Clarence

m. 0429 479 968; e. clarence@nsw.greens.org.au

www.nsw.greens.org.au/clarence

9 March 2015

PEL CANCELLATION TOO LITTLE TOO LATE

The Greens have criticised the Government’s announcement that two Petroleum Exploration Licences (PELs) held by Clarence Moreton Resources Pty Ltd will be cancelled.

Greens candidate for Clarence, Janet Cavanaugh said:

“Today’s announcement is too little, too late. It is merely tinkering around the edges.

“The timing is just cynical electioneering. Both PELs expired in 2012 and could have been cancelled at any time.

“I am concerned that the Government is wasting taxpayers money on this electioneering stunt. Under the Petroleum Onshore Act*, no compensation is payable for the cancellation or suspension of exploration licences.

“Why is the Government paying off their mates in the mining industry?

“There can be no basis for compensation, particularly if there has been insufficient investment in exploration works in the licence area or any other breaches of licence conditions. The Clarence Alliance Against CSG is not aware of any onground works in PEL478.

“In PEL479, there have been substantial complaints about the drilling of the Annvale Borehole in 2011,” she said.

Greens spokesperson on mining, Jeremy Buckingham MP said:

“The Greens are not impressed by the cancellation of these PELs. “We would have been more impressed if Metgasco's PEL426 had been cancelled. It expired more than 12 months ago and should also be cancelled.

“PEL426 is the PEL with the Glenugie drill site. Metgasco’s attempts to drill here were met by concerted community action and a lengthy blockade. Drilling only proceeded after the

riot squad was brought in, at great expense to taxpayers.

“The Greens are the only party to have a position of being totally opposed to all unconventional gas mining and exploration in NSW - that's coal seam gas, tight sands

gas and shale gas. It just isn't worth the risk to our land and water,” he said.

* Section 22(5) of the NSW Petroleum Onshore Act 1991 states:

“No compensation is payable by the Crown for or in respect of the cancellation of, or a suspension of operations under, a petroleum title.”

MEDIA RELEASE

Meet the Candidates at Dundurrabin

The Blicks River Guardians invite you to attend an afternoon tea with NSW election candidates at Dundurrabin Community Centre, 4pm on Sunday 15^th March.  This event, on the beautiful Dorrigo Plateau, provides a great opportunity for you to come and meet the candidates from both the Oxley and Clarence electorates.  There will be time for Q & A about the issues that are important to you and following at 6pm will be a community dinner (bring a plate to share) and a fundraiser for the Blicks River Guardians with local musician and songwriter Noam Blat.

Mineral exploration on the Dorrigo Plateau and across the New England fold belt has increased in recent years.  The Clarence catchment has a number of active exploration leases for gold, antimony and other minerals, with Anchor Resources prospecting near the Blicks River at Dundurrabin and at Wild Cattle Creek near Dorrigo.  Also on the Clarence,  Australia United Mining (Altius) is exploring for gold in the Orara Valley near Coffs Harbour.  The Hillgrove mine in the Macleay catchment has plans to reopen with a proposal for a second mine awaiting approval.  Other large gold and mineral exploration leases are active at Uralla and Armidale.

The increase in mineral exploration above coastal water catchments across our region concerns local residents.

“Some of this exploration is being supported with taxpayers money by the state government, despite the list of contamination events that have polluted regional waterways in recent decades,” said Blicks River Guardians’ spokesperson Meredith Stanton, “Major rainfall events have led to heavy metal contamination polluting the Clarence River at Timbarra in 2001, the Macleay River at Bellbrook in 2009 and at North Parkes a gold and copper mine spill killed birds in 1995.  There are many more documented examples across NSW and more than 500 derelict mine sites that companies have walked away from leaving a legacy for NSW taxpayers.”

The Blicks River Guardians consider mining to be an inappropriate land use on the Dorrigo Plateau and aim to protect our high rainfall area from future mining development.  Local communities rely heavily on tourism and the local agricultural industry.  The risks that an open cut mine would bring to our catchments are not worth the few jobs that might be available to local people if mining development were to be approved. 

BRG will be asking the NSW election candidates where they stand on mining in our water catchments.  To learn more about BRG visit www.blicksriverguardians.org.

To ask the candidates about important local issues come along to the public event at:

Dundurrabin Community Centre,  Armidale-Grafton Road,  Dundurrabin.

Date:  Sunday 15th March 2015

4 - 6pm - Meet the Candidates.  Afternoon tea provided

6 - 7pm - Dinner.  Bring a plate to share.

7 - 9pm - Music. Noam Blat 

For event information call  02 6657 8040.

BACKGROUND

http://youtu.be/WjfmKpEH0Jg

"We want a gasfield ban, not a gas plan!"

Letter to the Editor in The Daily Examiner, 27 February 2015:

Election and gasfield

The State Election is fast approaching. On March 28 we go to the polls again to cast our vote to decide who will run the State of NSW for the next four years.

In the Northern Rivers, the biggest political issue over the past four years has been the threat of industrialisation and destructive and polluting activities which inevitably accompany invasive gasfields.

We have fought to save our region - at Glenugie and Doubtful Creek and then at Bentley. The famous Bentley Blockade resulted in the suspension of Metgasco's exploration licence which was to allow drilling to a depth of 2.1km through the soils, rocks and aquifers of this beautiful and productive valley, so typical of the Northern Rivers.

It was the pressure exerted by the community on the NSW Liberal National Government which caused them to suspend activity. It was not an act of benevolence on the part of the NSW Government- without people-power the drilling rig would have moved in.

Over 95% of people in the Northern Rivers do not want to live in a gasfield. Tourism and primary industries in our region will suffer irreparable damage and our properties will become devalued and unsalable - who would buy a house in or near a gasfield?

Now is our chance once again to have our voices heard loud and clear - in NSW we have a system of Optional Preferential voting.

Under this system, numbering one box is permitted. However, there is a very good reason why this is not a good choice. If you do number only one box and your choice of candidate does not receive 50% + one of the total votes in the first count, your vote is "exhausted'" and you have, in effect, wasted your vote.

To ensure that your vote counts, you must number every box.

You do not have to follow the how to vote card of any political party or independent candidate.

You are the one who is allocating preferences. Your preferences are the ones that matter.

Who you vote for on election day is, of course, your personal choice. However, to vote for a gasfield-free Northern Rivers, you will need to give your LAST preference to the party who is least supportive of the community's clearly expressed wishes to remain gasfield free.

We want a gasfield ban, not a gas plan!

Rosemary Joseph

That not-so-stellar progress of the Australian gas industry

The Australian 14 January 2015:

PLUNGING  prices for liquid natural gas are dashing state and federal expectations of a revenue bonanza from the country’s massive new gas projects, with at least $2 billion being stripped from tax and royalty forecasts.

The seven giant projects being built at a combined cost of about $200bn represent the largest capital investments made in ­Australia and are still expected to be financially viable.

But as prices tumble, the ­industry’s export revenue could be as much as $20bn a year lower than was expected a year ago.

The mid-year budget update released just before Christmas had factored in the oil price falling by a third, with the drop feeding through to LNG prices. The fall has surpassed 50 per cent.….

From a sovereign risk perspective, it is essential that these projects continue to be able to service the foreign debts that have largely financed their construction. Industry analysts believe the projects will still be able to cover their operating and financing costs at current prices, but they believe they would not have been built if current ­prices had prevailed when they came before boards for approval.

“If you knew then what you know now, some may not have proceeded because the rate of ­return on our estimates are below what we think is needed to justify going ahead, but when you’re half-way through the construction, you’re also half-way through the money and there’s no going back,” UBS energy analyst Nik Burns said.

The recent round of state and federal budget updates downgraded estimates of royalty and resource tax revenue from the gas industry, to reflect the weaker price outlook, but prices have fallen a lot further since budgets were ruled off before Christmas…..

For the very junior cowboys in the coal seam gas section of the industry this is not good news.

Some, like Metgasco Limited, are already facing strong headwinds and share price continues to reflect this.

Three month chart ordinary shares sold on the Australian Stock Market (ASX)

Twelve month chart ordinary shares sold on the Australian Stock Market (ASX)

Ten year monthly average ordinary shares sold on the Australian Stock Market (ASX)

The Goings On In Gloucester OR The Case Of The Coal Seam Gas Fracking Flowback Water

This little tale, told in excerpts from news articles and media releases, illustrates how changing a sum of money from a "penalty" to a "tradewaste charge" gave unpopular coal seam gas miner AGL Energy an excuse to deny that it had been involved (through its waste water treatment contractor Transpacific Industries) in dumping coal seam gas waste water into a Hunter Water Corporation sewer system.

What this change in wording did not do was stop its contractor from refusing to take any more AGL waste water from its Gloucester coal seam gas project in the foreseeable future.

Newcastle Herald 9 March 2014:

HUNTER Water has refused to dispose of waste water from AGL's Gloucester coal seam gas project because of concerns about chemical contamination.

AGL, which is yet to receive final state-government approval to frack four pilot wells, approached Hunter Water last year about transporting waste water from the site to a treatment plant.

But Hunter Water has told AGL that the waste water produced from hydraulic fracking would not meet its criteria for tankered waste water.

''Hunter Water's waste water works are designed and licensed for the treatment of human effluent,'' its letter to AGL states.

''Waste water (flow-back water) from hydraulic fracturing has the potential to adversely impact the waste water treatment process and therefore Hunter Water's ability to meet its environment protection licence conditions.''

Hunter Water's manager of government and media relations Jeremy Bath said the utility was specifically concerned about chemical additives likely to be in the waste water.

Waste water produced from coal seam gas extraction often contains a range of fracking and drilling chemicals and heavy metals including arsenic, mercury, lead and cadmium. It is also typically highly saline.

It was revealed on Saturday  that energy company Santos was fined $1500 after 

contaminated waste water  seeped  from a holding pond at its Pilliga forest project near Narrabri into an aquifer.

As a result the aquifer had increased concentrations of  lead, aluminium, arsenic, barium, boron, nickel and uranium.

An AGL spokeswoman said the company would dispose of waste water from the Gloucester project at an appropriate licensed facility, in accordance with its assessment of environmental impacts.

Gloucester Advocate 12 August 2014:

GLOUCESTER Shire Council has called on the State government to retrospectively introduce a 2km setback for coal seam gas wells in the valley following the decision to approve AGL’s Waukivory Pilot Program.

Resources Minister Anthony Roberts approved AGL’s plans to frack four coal seam gas wells at Gloucester last Wednesday, along with a renewal of AGL’s Gloucester Petroleum Exploration Licence (PEL) 285 for six years.

Council said it was ‘frustrated and angry’ the Minister had renewed the licence and approved fracking in the valley.

It called on the State to follow the science and not allow fracking until the federal government’s bioregional assessment, AGL’s numerical model to enable assessment of water impacts and council’s water study coordination report were complete.

 “Council acknowledges that the Waukivory Pilot is part of AGL’s research program, but has not been given compelling reasons as to why the test wells need to be located where now proposed,” deputy mayor Frank Hooke said.

Newcastle Herald 31 October 2014:

MIDCOAST Water "strongly oppose" AGL's plan to release recycled water from its Gloucester coal seam gas project into the area's waterways.

AGL's draft water management policy proposes releasing water used during coal seam gas drilling into nearby river systems when wet weather makes irrigation impossible.

The company said its preferred method of management is irrigation, and the discharges of desalinated water would only be made "during periods of high rainfall".

It said the water would only represent "a very small addition, less than 1 per cent, to the average annual flow of the Avon River of approximately 110,000 million litres".

But in a submission to AGL's draft water management strategy for the Gloucester gas project, Midcoast Water states it does not support the company's plans.

"We believe the proposed scheme will be very complex with a number of risks associated with its operation," general manager Robert Loadsman said.

"We strongly oppose the idea of using waterways as transportation routes for recycled water - such water has to be transported by pipelines."

MidCoast Water is also calling for a comprehensive risk assessment to be undertaken and contingency measures designed as part of any extracted water management scheme.

It said the water monitoring plan proposed by AGL was "highly inadequate".

Newcastle Herald 18 December 2014:

POTENTIALLY contaminated wastewater used to frack AGL's Gloucester coal seam gas project has been dumped unlawfully into the Hunter's sewer system by the private company hired to treat it.

Transpacific, one of the nation's largest wastewater management firms, has been fined $30,000 by Hunter Water for releasing treated "flow-back" fluid from the gas project into the region's sewer network.

It comes after AGL and Transpacific were both explicitly warned by the water regulator that releasing the flow-back fluid was a breach of its wastewater criteria.

Hunter Water asked Transpacific for a please explain after the Newcastle Herald revealed on Thursday that it was the company treating flow-back water for AGL.

Both AGL and Transpacific had refused to state what was happening to the water once it was treated, but when approached by Hunter Water, the company admitted to dumping the water into the sewer network…..

In a statement to the Herald, Hunter Water said it was "extremely disappointed" by AGL's "seeming inability to control flow-back water originating from its CSG mine".

"AGL has also previously committed to having measures in place to ensure that waste management companies would not attempt to discharge flow-back water into the Hunter Water sewer system," chief customer services officer Jeremy Bath said.

ABC News 18 December 2014:

There are renewed concerns over a coal seam gas fracking operation in the Hunter Valley, after a contractor was fined for dumping wastewater into Newcastle's sewer system.

AGL recently completed fracking at four CSG test wells just outside Gloucester, but has been vague on the detail of what would happen to the flow-back water from the operation.

Hunter Water says in October it refused an application from waste contractor, Transpacific to discharge treated flow-back water from the AGL site.

But it says it recently became aware that Transpacific had discharged a prohibited substance into the sewer system from its treatment site on Newcastle's Kooragang Island.

The company has since been penalised $30,000 and warned that any further breaches would result in the termination of its commercial agreement with Hunter Water.

Community group, Groundswell Gloucester says it is outrageous and AGL's licence should be suspended.

  

AGL 19 December 2014:

At our Gloucester Gas Project, as with all our operations, AGL's Upstream Gas team places the highest priority on meeting our environmental and community engagement obligations. 

So, it was deeply disappointing to read the Newcastle Herald's report yesterday (19 December) which wrongly claimed that "fracking wastewater" was being "dumped" in Hunter Water's sewers.

The story went on to claim this was being done 'unlawfully' and that our trade waste contractor Transpacific had been "fined" $30,000.

These incorrect claims unfortunately have caused concern and once again our project, where we are meeting the highest environmental and regulatory standards, has been tarred by misinformation.

Not one drop of untreated flowback water has gone to Hunter Water from the recent operations at Gloucester by AGL or our contractor, Transpacific, as far as AGL is aware. 

AGL 5 January 2015:

Recently you may have seen news reports raising concerns about AGL Energy Limited's (AGL) arrangements for the proper disposal of flowback water from our Waukivory Pilot at the Gloucester Gas Project.

We understand your concern for the safety of local water resources and we take our responsibility to protect water very seriously. So, please allow me a few moments of your time to set the record straight.

The water in question, 'flowback' water, is retrieved from a gas well after being used in the hydraulic fracturing of a coal seam. It is mostly water, with some sand and very small amounts of highly diluted additives from our hydraulic fracturing fluid. The quality of this water is monitored frequently and the monitoring results are reported to the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and published on our website.

AGL is required to transport this flowback water to an appropriately licensed facility. After reviewing our options, AGL engaged Transpacific to lawfully treat and dispose of this water under its licence with the EPA for wastewater treatment and disposal.

The Transpacific facility is the closest wastewater treatment provider to the Waukivory Pilot, which means that traffic movements and distances are minimised.

As far as AGL is aware, there is no justification for claims that AGL's flowback water was inappropriately disposed of and we are now providing details of these arrangements to the EPA for review.

It's also important to understand that there was no "$30,000 fine" involved. It is our understanding that Transpacific was being levied a trade waste charge under the normal terms of its trade wastewater agreement with Hunter Water.

Transpacific has advised us that it has suspended taking our flowback water while it is clarifying operational issues with Hunter Water. We have engaged Worth Recycling, a Sydney-based resource recovery and waste treatment company. Worth Recycling, which has Environment Protection Licences with the EPA, will transport and treat AGL's water and then recycle it for industrial purposes.

I would like to assure you that at no stage has flowback water been "dumped" into the Hunter Water sewerage system. Rather, it has been treated at a facility licensed by the EPA, and as far as AGL is aware, lawfully disposed of.

Finally, I assure you that all of our actions in relation to the Waukivory Pilot Program have been, and will continue to be, undertaken in accordance with our approvals and with the highest respect for the community and the environment. For further information please visit our online community, www.yoursayagl.com.au.

Newcastle Herald 5 January 2015:

In a full-page advertisement in today's Herald, AGL states there was no $30,000 fine issued.

In its initial statement to the Herald, Hunter Water said it had issued a $30,000 ''penalty'' and then re-worded that to call it a ''tradewaste charge''.

ABC News 8 January 2014:

Hunter Water imposed a $30,000 charge on AGL's contractor Transpacific for accepting the wastewater from the four CSG test wells without its approval.

Transpacific has been warned that any further breaches would result in the termination of its commercial agreement with Hunter Water.

According to the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Transpacific Industries Pty Ltd was issued with four penalty notices in 2014 for contravention of licence conditions at its Homebush NSW liquid treatment plant and, in 2013 AGL Upstream Investments Pty Limited was issued with three penalty notices for contravention of licence conditions at its Menangle NSW gas plant.

One suspects that the EPA may become rather interested in the goings on in Gloucester in the coming year.

Many Northern Rivers residents are watching AGL Energy with interest - seeing its inability to effectively deal with pollution risks as a problem Metgasco Limited would also fail to deal with should the Baird Government allow it to continue exploration and/or grant it a production licence on the NSW North Coast.