At least thirty concerned people and, perhaps as many as fifty before the protest ended, gathered outside the electoral office of NSW Nationals MP for Clarence, Chris Gulaptis, on Tuesday 25 September 2012.
This anti-CSG gathering met to emphatically, but politely, express opposition to NSW Government land use policies and potential coal seam gas exploration and mining in the Clarence Valley.
After the protesters had been in position for a good half hour or so, Mr. Gulaptis deigned to show himself and immediately set out to cast doubts about the legitimacy of concerns relating to coal seam gas exploration and mining.
One interested local queried the fact that Mr. Gulaptis appeared to have abandoned the precautionary principle when it came to the possibility that mining corporations might sink multiple commercial gas wells on privately owned land in the electorate he represents.
Of course Gulaptis has a history of favouring the mining industry, so his current attitude should come as no surprise.
It is understood that the Member for Clarence initially objected to his meeting with protesters being filmed by a participant and, as he is not known to be shy, one has to wonder if plausible deniability was what he hoped to preserve in this exchange with protesters.
It is understood that the Member for Clarence initially objected to his meeting with protesters being filmed by a participant and, as he is not known to be shy, one has to wonder if plausible deniability was what he hoped to preserve in this exchange with protesters.
Yesterday morning The Daily Examiner published this photograph and article online.
North Coast Voices also has these images of a somewhat uncomfortable Gulpatis meeting with ardent protesters - courtesy of our own K. Roo:
UPDATE:
Denise Deane of Yuragir Coast and Range Alliance on 27 September 2012:
Mr Gulaptis was humble to admit he
indeed did not know a lot about the unconventional gas industry but was
prepared to read the list of Australasian Accidents and Spillages related to
CSG. He accepted literature and video educational material provide by the community.
We remain deeply concerned that
local productive industries, including the largest commercial fishing fleet in
the state, will be badly affected by the by-products and pollution from the
industry as has occurred in other parts of AUSTRALIA. It's astounding that we
as stakeholders in shared resources such as our water, sustaining life and
livelihoods have not been properly consulted and our concerns abandoned in
favour of mostly foreign owned mining companies.
Fluffy assurances from CSG mining
company advertising, such as Metgasco, that this industry is safe and can
coexist with farming and healthy communities are inadequate. Metgasco already
have a poor track record with spillages, illegal dumping and leaking
toxic ponds.
Mr Gulaptis asked for anyone directly
affected by a neighbouring gas company to ensure they report to him. Funnily
these were similar words from Mr Hazzard at Casino, but the crowd erupted when
he said this as prevention is far better than cure. We will lock our gates. We
do not want to have these huge problems.
6% of well casings fail immediately
upon instalment, within 30 years, 50% of well casings fail and ultimately all
of them fail. Cement is not going to withstand multiple horizontal seismic
fracking and has a limited life span.
ABC News on 26 September reporting on a gas project of which Chris Gulaptis approves:
A mining company with gas exploration licences for the Clarence
Valley has just signed a multi million dollar deal with an energy company.
The almost $3 million dollar agreement between Red Sky Energy and ERM Power
will fund drilling of up to nine gas wells.....However the Clarence Valley Alliance Against Coal Seam Gas says it is extremely worried about the mining exploration deal. Spokesman John Edwards said if the project was only for nine wells in the valley, it would not be a major concern. "But if there's a resource discovered under any of those wells that will mean the companies will then move to the next level, which is a gas field," he said.
"We'll have dozens, possibly hundreds of gas wells clustered around in a very small area, connected to pipelines and roads.
"It's going to be horrific.
"If there was only nine wells to be drilled in the Clarence valley I don't think too many people would have concerns.
"But Metgasco have already admitted they want to put one thousand wells in the Casino area.
"This isn't just a single well coming up with conventional gas, whatever that is.
"It's unconventional and they're just playing with semantics, they really are."
Red Sky-ERM Power petroluem/gas titles PELs 457, 478 & 479 in the Richmond and Clarence valleys found at MinView:
