Saffin hits back at Cansdell over coal seam gas jibe

In response to NSW Nationals MP for Clarence and member of the O’Farrell Government, Steve Cansdell, who appeared more intent on supporting mining interests and attempting to score political points against the ALP in yesterday’s The Northern Star article MP Cansdell stands by Metgasco (rather than listening to the concerns of his constituents) the Federal MP for Page issued this media release:

Saffin hits back at Cansdell on coal seam gas

Page MP Janelle Saffin has hit back at Clarence MP Steve Cansdell over his claims that local opposition to coal seam gas mining is largely inspired by the U.S documentary, ‘Gaslands’.

“I would point out to Steve that people in our community, particularly farmers and landholders – traditionally National Party supporters - first raised alarm bells over coal seam gas exploration well before ‘Gaslands’ came out.

“I also take exception to his suggestion that public figures’ support for a Coal seam gas moratorium is partly ‘based on a desire to be everyone’s friend’.

 “I can assure Steve that if I was concerned with being everyone’s friend, it would be a lot easier to sit back and keep quiet.

“As I did with the issue of aerial chemical spraying of forest plantations in Coaldale and other local areas, I have listened to the community, investigated the issue and then raised my concerns.

“Public figures have a duty to listen, to lead and to guide and where there are community concerns, particularly involving possible health and environmental risks, we are obliged to raise questions and seek assurances.

“It is for that reason, and not ‘a desire to be everyone’s friend’, that I have now thrown my support behind the call for a coal seam gas moratorium by Lismore, Kyogle and Ballina councils, Rous Water County Council and Northern Rivers Tourism.

“The moratorium may not happen, but I support the process and recognise the concerns of farmers and landholders and other local residents.

“I notice Steve says that any gas miner that breached laws and damaged aquifers needed to face heavy fines.  That is not the sort of process that inspires confidence in the community.  We need to make sure that our aquifers are not at risk in the first place.

“I have no problem with Metgasco and I welcome clean, safe, natural gas production in our region. 

“But the community needs to be assured that any mining in our region is clean and safe.” Ms Saffin said.

“At this stage, they are not assured.”

Ms Saffin plans to attend the public meeting on coal seam gas mining at the Grafton Ex-Services Club on Thursday evening, 19 May.

May 18, 2011

Media contact:  Lee Duncan 0448 158 150

Metgasco spinning in all directions on the subject of fracking coal seam gas on the NSW North Coast

Metgasco Ltd whose coal seam mining operating licences cover approximately 5,800 km² in the New South Wales section of the Clarence-Morton Basin is having a little trouble deciding which line to spin North Coast communities and their elected representatives………

Fracturing, or ‘fracing’ as it is referred to in the CSM industry, is a technique used to improve the flow of gas from the coal seam. It is not anticipated at this time that fracing will be required; however information on typical fracing impacts and management has been provided in case this should change in the future. The main impacts are associated with an increase in noise from the high pressure pumps during the fracing operation and the potential for cross contamination of beneficial use aquifers in the adjacent area.[Metgasco Ltd Environmental Assessment - RVPS & CGP: Executive Summary, August 2008]

Metgasco told the government its drilling would have little effect on aquifers since all wells are encased in cemented steel casing ''so there is no perceivable impact to ground water [as] a result of the fracture treatment'' [Metgasco spokesperson in The Sydney Morning Herald, Gas drilling goes ahead without any checks, 15 November 2010]

Metgasco takes its environmental responsibilities very seriously and is open and transparent in its activities [Metgasco Managing Director David Johnson, in The Sydney Morning Herald, letter to the editor, 24 November 2010]

The final investment decision on into production through stimulation techniques such as this project remains subject to satisfactory progress on fracture stimulation [Metgasco 2010 Annual Report]

Metgasco, had been given a licence to mine using the controversial hydraulic fracturing technique, also known as “fracking”….this method of extracting natural gas from coal seams involved pumping material that often including poisonous or carcinogenic materials into the rock to create fractures that allowed the gas to escape [Education officer for the Environmental Defenders Office NSW Northern Rivers Mark Byrne in The Daily Examiner, Poison warning as gas mining starts, 25 January 2011]

Locally Metgasco have given assurances that they don’t use any chemicals, and don’t do fracking [Steve Cansdell NSW MP for Clarence in The Northern Rivers Echo,Gas seams to be a cloudy issue, 24 February 2011]

the company had done one hydraulic fracture in the Northern Rivers region, at the Kingfisher site near Casino…. We’re happy to give a list of chemicals, the names aren’t generally recognisable but they’re all relatively common chemicals; every one of the chemicals will be in most people’s houses,….The Kingfisher frack was done at 1450m [Metgasco’s chief operating officer Mick O’Brien in The Northern Rivers Echo, Metgasco goes deep into CSG, 3 March 2011]

the company did not use hydraulic fracturing…..nor poisonous chemicals in the well-drilling process [Metgasco’s chief financial officer Glenda McLoughlin in The Northern Star, Metgasco spruiks its transparency, 16 March 2011]

we don’t use fracking in coal seam gas exploration [Metgasco operations manager Aidan Stewart in The Northern Rivers Echo, Gas meeting fails to fire, 17 March 2011]

Metgasco tell us they are not using this process [Janelle Saffin Federal MP for Page, media release, 16 May 2011]

Metgasco applies advanced drilling and production techniques to extract coal seam gas. We produce gas from certain seams by drilling a vertical well to between 300 to 700 metres from the surface. The well is then cased to prevent any water from upper acquifers leaking into the well. We then drill horizontally along the coal seam to a distance of up to 1,000 metres. The well is then lined with perforated steel casing. Water and gas are then pumped from the well and separated at the well head. This process of taking water out of the coal seams lowers the pressure in the well and allows gas to flow to the wellhead. [Metgasco website, 17 May 2011]

Bolt Report commits a furphy on taxation

I steeled myself to watch The Bolt Report last Sunday in order to give the man a chance to convince me he would be worth time spent on Channel Ten.

Alas! Only minutes into his opening statement Andrew Bolt informed Australia that only people in the workforce or of workforce age were financing government expenditure on things like pensions, schools and hospitals.

Yes, while doing a little welfare bashing he conveniently ignored the fact that almost everyone, except infants and possibly preschoolers, regularly pays a consumption tax ie. the GST and that this revenue (worth $45.5 billion in 2010-11) goes to the states to help pay for things like the public health system and capital works.

That the states spent this extra revenue in part on hospitals is indisputable if one looks at this graph based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data covering the years immediately after the introduction of the GST.

Graph found in Catallaxy archives

Ergo, the very people Bolt is bashing contributed to the hospitals he would likely access should he fall ill.

I won't even mention the fact that Bolt appears not to realise that the indexation of family support payment, Family Tax Benefit A, is not paused at a 'family' income of $150,00 per year, but the 'primary wage earner's income'.

The Bolt Report? Distorted opinion and definitely not worth wasting my time on.

Federal Member for Page Janelle Saffin's statement concerning coal seam gas extraction on the NSW North Coast

JANELLE SAFFIN’S STATEMENT ON COAL SEAM GAS

Many local people have contacted me raising strong concerns about Coal Seam Gas (CSG) exploration and mining in our region and its potential damaging effect on the community, environment and agriculture.

It is clear from the recent community rallies and meetings that we need to know more about CSG exploration and its impact, particularly on our water. I support the calls for a moratorium on CSG exploration made by Lismore, Ballina and Kyogle councils, Rous Water County Council and Northern Rivers Tourism.

Like many in the community I was pleased with news of a possible natural gas source in the region as an alternative to coal powered electricity and I welcomed the interest of Metgasco in the Richmond Valley area. But I share the growing concerns about hydraulic fracturing or ‘fraccing’. While Metgasco tell us they are not using this process, I believe the community deserves much more information on this.

The mining companies have an obligation to tell us clearly the precise nature of their gas extraction methods; if they are using fraccing, what chemicals they use, what studies they have done and any known impacts on our water, land and us.

I have asked the Federal Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Tony Burke, what powers he has in this area,  and it appears the Commonwealth’s role in regulating coal seam gas proposals is currently limited to matters protected by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act  1999 (EPBC Act). This refers to matters including protection of threatened species and ecological communities.

I have had talks with Independent MP Tony Windsor about his plans to introduce changes at the federal level to require region-wide water assessments before new mining proceeds.

I am also exploring whether the National Water Commission can help us to better protect our water resources. The Commission has warned that ‘the consequences of not managing the water risk and uncertainties associated with the economic benefits of CSG are substantial’.

Otherwise, mining and exploration, including the regulation of chemicals used in fraccing, is primarily regulated by the states.

Local farmers are particularly concerned about the state development approvals given to mining companies to explore and exploit mining resources, with little rights for the property owner. This has caught many by surprise as gas is spread over a large number of land holdings.

As I said to Ian Gaillard and Chris Allen from the Keerrong Gas Squad when they came to see me, this issue is gaining the momentum of the rare earth issue of a few decades back when thousands marched against a rare earth plant in Tuncester.

Mineral resources are owned by the Australian people, held in common by Government. Mining companies make very good profits using the resources that the people own and they have social obligations to the community. They need to demonstrate that social responsibility by their actions on this issue now.

Last year the Kenneally State Government announced it would introduce tough new rules for CSG exploration licences, including rigorous community consultation and tighter environment controls.

It is incumbent upon our local State MPs and the new State Government to follow this lead and take decisive action to inform and protect the community and give improved rights to farmers and landholders.

 

16 May, 2001

Media contact:  Lee Duncan 0448 158 150

Magistrate orders Berlin held in custody until early June

Click on image to enlarge

The Daily Examiner on 17 May 2011:

John Xavier Berlin is in jail.

An advertisement placed by Berlin in a Clarence Valley newspaper earlier this month was deemed by Magistrate David Heilpern in Grafton Local Court yesterday as a breach of bail.

Berlin, 62, of Maclean, already on a 12-month good behaviour bond for offences of impersonating police last year, had last month been granted bail on 14 other criminal charges, many involving impersonating police.

But an ad in the Clarence Valley Review's Memoriam classified section in early May, a dedication to a police constable who was killed on duty in Sydney in 1989, stated that it had been inserted by former NSW Police Commissioner Peter Ryan and "former Australian Police DCI John Xavier Berlin - shot 28.12.96".

Berlin, through his barrister David Imlah, denied placing the advertisement.

Mr Imlah said Berlin suffered "difficulties" in his lumbar spine, was on heart medication and suffered from a psychiatric disorder which was not named in court.

"Mr Berlin is a very unusual man and I find it very difficult to represent him at times," he said.

Police prosecutor Mark Sinclair outlined an email trail showing that Berlin had in fact paid for the ad in question.

"This accused is thumbing his nose at the courts," he said.

Mr Heilpern said the prosecution had a very strong case.

"Who else has a vested interest in claiming that he was shot on duty? Who else would pay money to claim that he was a DCI (detective chief inspector)? The answer is, of course, that nobody does," Mr Heilpern said.

"Mr Berlin lives in some parallel universe in which, again, someone has conspired to place an ad in a local paper.

"It's a world of fantasy and make believe and he is seeking to hoodwink the court.

"Police contacted the ex-police commissioner Peter Ryan in the UK and he denied all knowledge of the placement of that ad."

Berlin was denied bail and will next appear in Grafton Local Court on Monday, June 6, at which point, Mr Heilpern said, the court would re-evaluate the situation.

Berlin's charges include using a police insignia, making a false statement to obtain money, and making false accusation subject other to investigation.