14.9 million Metgasco shares traded on Australian Stock Exchange on 19 February 2013 as stock free fall continues

 

Given Metgasco Limited’s poor track record with regard to coal seam gas mining waste water and well leaks, its cynical media spin and contempt for democratic processes there is little sympathy on the NSW North Coast for this coal seam gas exploration and production company as its share price continues in free fall.

 

19 February trading volume was unusually high for this company and at least one local resident is speculating that Metgasco connections began to buy back shares yesterday once the price reached the minuscule 0.099 cents per share, in order to stop share value from plunging even lower.

 

Metgasco share trades on the Australian Stock Exchange 19 February 2013:

 

 

Janelle Saffin MP: National MPs Should Just Do Their Job And Make Region CSG Free

Nationals MPs should just do their job and make region CSG free

 

FEDERAL Member for Page Janelle Saffin says the only solution for the Northern Rivers is a complete exclusion zone from Coal Seam Gas mining, and she is calling on State Nationals MPs to just do their job and make our region CSG free.

 

Ms Saffin says Premier Barry O’Farrell’s new announcement of two-kilometre exclusion zones around urban areas and some wineries and horse studs, is a quick fix which seeks to shore up his political support in Western Sydney and the Hunter  Valley

 

“It ignores the Northern Rivers community’s concerns about CSG ruining our river catchments and prime agricultural land, and shows up the ineffectiveness of the country Nationals and the weakness of Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner,” she says.

 

“The only thing that will protect all local residents is to make our region CSG free, and until we get that legislative assurance from the New South Wales Government, I will continue to support the community campaign to get that outcome.

 

“I heard Premier O’Farrell on radio today blaming the previous State government, and it sounds lame.

 

“Barry O’Farrell made a campaign promise in 2011 to protect our water, and when he had the opportunity to do something, he didn’t honour his promise.

 

“Instead, he introduced a short-term moratorium on CSG and then brought out a land use policy which effectively gives the green light to CSG mining licences.

 

“The O’Farrell-Stoner Government’s land use policy does nothing to protect our water, farms and the rural lifestyle many of us enjoy.

 

“I’m pushing ahead with the work I’m doing with Federal Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities Tony Burke to see if the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act can be broadened to prevent the land, water and environmental vandalism being perpetrated by the NSW Government.”

 

Ms Saffin also urged people to sign a petition she is jointly circulating with Federal Member for Richmond Justine Elliot, demanding that the Nationals make the North Coast CSG free. A target of 10,000 signatures means that the NSW Government must debate the petition in State Parliament.

 

Copies of the petition are available at both Federal MPs’ Electorate Offices or can be downloaded from Janelle’s facebook page.

 

MEDIA RELEASE Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Media Contact: Peter Ellem 0437 303 875

Everytime you go to the supermarket or bottle shop you can make a stand against the annual Antarctic whale slaughter

 

As the Government of Japan and the Japanese people appear unwilling to listen to the Government of Australia when it asks that the Japanese whaling fleet cease its Antarctic commercial whaling (cynically conducted under the guise of lethal research), perhaps it will listen to its own overseas business interests when they complain that Australian consumers are beginning to pass over their products.

 

It is easy to spot products imported directly from Japan, however that is not the true extent of the Japanese presence on supermarket and liquor store shelves.

 

If you would like to protest the ongoing Southern Ocean whale slaughter you can easily make your mark - here is a list of some Japanese-owned brands currently available:

 

Nippon Meat Packers Australia (NMPA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nippon Meat Packers, Inc., a Japanese publicly listed company and a leader in the Japanese fresh meat, ham, sausage, and processed foods industries. Brands are: OAKEY ANGUS RESERVE, OAKEY RESERVE, CPB GRAIN FED, BORTHWICKS AUSTRALIA PREMIUM BEEF, WINGHAM BEEF EXPORTS, WINGHAM RESERVE, OAKEY ABATTOIR'S "BLUE" BRAND, OAKEY ABATTOIR'S, "OLIVE" BRAND, WINGHAM GOLD.

Lion Nathan National Foods a wholly owned subsidiary of Kirin Holdings Company Limited, a Japanese corporation specialising in beer, wine and dairy products. Brands are: XXXX GOLD, TOOHEYS NEW, JAMES BOAG’S PREMIUM, WITHER HILLS CHARDONNAY, ST HALLETT FAITH SHIRAZ, DAIRY FARMERS, YOPLAIT, COON, BERRI, DARE, FARMERS UNION, PURA, BIB M, MOOVE, TASMANIAN HERITAGE, and possibly KING ISLAND DAIRY.
 

Schweppes Australia a wholly owned subsidiary of Asahi Group Holdings Ltd of Japan. Brands: SCHWEPPES BRAND SOFT DRINKS & MIXERS, SOLO, SPRING VALLEY, COTTEE'S CORDIALS, COOL RIDGE SPRING WATER, EXTRA JUICY, POP TOPS, GLO, FRANTELLE, PEPSI, MOUNTAIN DEW (under licence), GATORADE (under licence).

 

Independent Distillers a subsidiary owned by Asahi Group Holdings of Japan. Brands: ASAHAI BEER, WOODSTOCK BOURBON, WOODSTOCK BOURBON & COLA, PULSE, HIGHLAND SCOTCH WHISKY, RED BEER, CS COWBOY, VODKA MUDSHAKE, VODKA CRUISER, CRUISER BLACK, CRUISER FREE, CRUISER APPARELLA, LADY LUCK, EVERGLADES, TWISTEE SHOTS, HUMMINGBIRD BLONDE LAGER,KINGKISHER BEER, BALTIKA BEER, HAAGEN PREMUIM MALT.

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.