Metgasco's CEO bags the NSW Premier and again distorts the history of community concerns relating to the coal seam gas industry

 

Metgasco’s CEO Peter Henderson must be laughing up his sleeve at the mainstream media when it fails yet again to challenge his more outrageous distortions concerning community opposition to coal seam gas exploration and mining.

 

On 21 February 2013 ABC North Coast Radio broadcast this interview in which he baldly states that; “The coal seam gas industry has been operating in Australia now producing gas for more than sixteen years. Until Gasland [a documentary film] came along there was never squeak of concern.”

 

So no community in Australia was worried about coal seam gas until a film was shown at the US Sundance Film Festival in January 2010 and then released into Australian cinemas on 18 November that same year?

 

Unfortunately for Mr. Henderson’s attempts to create an alternative history, this was published in January 2005; COAL BED METHANE HAZARDS IN NEW SOUTH WALES by a NSW Central Coast action group established circa 2004 with this aim:

Our most precious resource is water. Our mission is to guarantee its integrity, and prevent loss of groundwater and contamination of surface water from methane gas mining.

And the Hunter-Bulga Gas Action Group Inc. was in active in March 2007 offering to organise free legal advice for landowners.

While the Caroona Coal Action Group was alive and well before the documentary film was first screened and, the group had this posted on its website on 4 July 2009:

 

Rosemary Nankivell highlights dangers of CSM in this Northern Daily Leader article July 09. Environmental Hazards.

Methane gas exploration and extraction has caused irreparable environmental, social and economic damage across the world. This report shows how gas exploration destroys fresh water supplies slowly but surely and how much of the geological understanding claimed by gas companies is actually guess work. The same will happen to us if we don’t stop it now. Here's what's already happened at Narrabri (p.11-13)

A project operated by Sydney Gas was stopped by ‘people power’ in the Yarramalong and Dooralong Valleys because of scientific concerns coal seam gas (CSG) extraction would ruin drinking water and agricultural supplies for the Central Coast. An executive summary of their concerns is here...

they are the same concerns we have on the Liverpool Plains. [Full report here]…..

Gas extraction will damage our own water supplies and those feeding into the Murray Darling Basin:-
• by contaminating town water supplies, aquifers and stock bores
• by extracting water with gas lowering the water tables
• by creating vast quantities of waste water
• by exploring along the stressed Hunter-Mooki fault systems……

 

By 22 October 2009 the ABC television program Catalyst canvassed concerns:

 

NARRATION
It’s not surprising that here, on the fertile soils at the top of the Murray-Darling basin, farmers are sensitive about salinity.

IAN HAYLLOR
Now we’re seeing these gas companies bringing up millions of tonnes of salts, storing it on the surface, and the government hasn’t got a plan for it. It’s just … oh we’ll put it in storage and we’ll bury it and forget about it. Well salt doesn’t go away. It’s there forever……

Our concern for the future is the impact of the coal seam gas extraction is taking water out below our aquifer and you know some hydrologists are saying there’s a link between our aquifer and the coal aquifer. Um, the mining companies and the government are saying there’s not. Um, you know, who do you believe?

 

Concerns about coal seam gas were so well-known that on 7 December 2009 The Sydney Morning Herald reported:

 

And now there is a new complication: regulatory costs related to environmental issues. Until recently, the CSG industry was seen as an environmentally friendly energy, but farmers and environmental campaigners are concerned about the potential damage to waterways and crop land and the impact of the disposal of salt produced during the CSG extraction process.

Until recently, the water extracted during the coal seam gas process was pumped into ponds, where it would evaporate. But this technique was recently frowned on by the Queensland Government because it was creating ponds of salt.

This has forced companies including Santos to search for alternative solutions.

A report released on Friday following a Senate inquiry into the impact of CSG in the country's most important agricultural area, the Murray-Darling Basin, links CSG with Australia's most sensitive environmental subject, water.

After receiving numerous submissions from environmental groups highlighting concerns, the report recommends as a matter of priority, and preferably before the release of future mineral exploration licences, that state governments establish regional water plans in areas potentially subject to mining or extractive industry operations.

 

Perhaps NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell should keep in mind this company's loose relationship with fact if and when Metgasco meets with him. He might also like to note that Mr. Henderson thinks he and his Cabinet have been making policy on the run made in half hour or an hour.

Japanese whaling fleet begins to withdraw from Antarctic waters

 

http://youtu.be/4MrXiv4H1W0

 

SBS World News 20 February 2012:

 

The latest spat between Japanese whalers and the Sea Shepherd group could become an international incident, amid reports Japan has temporarily suspended its whale hunt.

The ABC reports Japan has temporarily suspended its annual whale hunt in the Southern Ocean.

Yesterday, three Sea Shepherd ships were rammed by Japan's whaling fleet while it was attempting to refuel in Australian Antarctic Territory waters, the conservation group says.

Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson says the Nisshin Maru has hit the Steve Irwin, the Bob Barker and the Sam Simon, which were attempting to stop the Japanese fleet "illegally" refuelling.

Captain Watson said the Nisshin Maru also collided with the Korean-owned tanker Sun Laurel, which appeared to be leaving the area.

The Bob Barker was badly damaged, taking water in its engine room and losing power, but is under way again, he said.

There were no injuries among its 38 crew.

"It's extremely irresponsible and reckless for them to be taking these kind of manoeuvres around an oil tanker, especially in the Antarctic treaty zone," Captain Watson told AAP.

"The Nisshin Maru just came in, bullied their way through, and hit the Steve Irwin twice on the stern ... and hit the Bob Barker multiple times, pushing it into the side of the tanker.

"It then continued to hit it with stun guns and water cannons and did severe damage."

Captain Watson said the Japanese ship backed off when a mayday call was issued but the Sam Simon had then been hit.

"We actually had the situation of the Japanese ship on their loudspeakers telling the Sam Simon to leave the Australian Antarctic Territory, that's an Australian flagged ship, and they said so by order of the government of Japan," Captain Watson said.

Japan's Insitiute of Cetacean Research version of events here.
Sea Shepherd (Australia) version of events here.

 

Now this is an apology

From the Northern Territory NT News 11 January 2013:

On average professional fishers pay their bills faster than mining companies

Local businesses operating in regional coastal economies are probably well aware that some industries are slow to pay their debts.

Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) Trade Payments Analysis simply places this phenomenon in a convenient graph.

September Quarter 2012 report

According to Dun & Bradstreet's CEO, Gareth Jones, while payment terms remain significantly above the standard 30 day term, the trend towards lower payment times that has occurred over the past few years indicates that the cash flow position of firms has improved…..
According to Mr Jones, the length of time businesses take to pay their bills has a significant bearing on the broader economy.
"Trade credit makes up a large portion of short-term finance for firms and as a result, it is one of the most important indicators of individual business health as well as overall economic health. Small and medium businesses in particular, are often more reliant on trade credit than bank credit; thus a reduction or increase in payment times can have a significant impact on their cash flow cycle."
A significant number of industries also reduced their payment times, particularly the forestry sector, which cut the time taken to pay their bills by six days to 54.2 days year-on-year; this was followed by firms in the fishing industry (down 2.5 days year-on-year). Fishing firms were also one of the fastest payers at 50.6 days.
The quickest payers were those in the agriculture and transportation industries, recording payment times of 49.3 days and 49.8 days respectively. Both industries improved their payment times by nearly two days each quarter-on-quarter and on par with figures 12 months ago.
Mining companies were the slowest payers at nearly 56 days, representing a marginal increase in the past 12 months, despite accounting for around eight per cent of total GDP. This was followed by firms in the finance, insurance and real estate sector and the electric, gas and sanitary services sector at 54 days each.
"Favourable prices and growing conditions are no doubt behind the lower payment times in agriculture, while lower global mineral prices and slower growth in profits is likely to be dampening the mining sector," Mr Koukoulas says.
"Based on the most recent payments data, no particular sector of the economy is performing poorly which fits with the scenario of the economy evening out in recent quarters."

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.