Gas exploration by stealth

Greens candidate Janet Cavanaugh wants a study into gas mining.

DEBRAH NOVAK

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CLARENCE Greens candidate Janet Cavanaugh has expressed concern about comments from Metgasco managing director David Johnson in last Friday’s Daily Examiner suggesting his company has been conducting gas exploration in the Whiporie and Tullymorgan areas.

“As a resident of Whiporie, I was shocked to learn of this,” Ms Cavanaugh said.

“It was not one of the active drill sites mentioned by the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) at their seminar earlier this month or shown on the map printed in The Daily Examiner in January (‘Poison warning as gas mining starts’ p3, January 25, 2011).

“This just confirms to me that the industry is operating stealthily.”

Ms Cavanaugh said the Greens had been calling for greater transparency in the licensing and approval process for coal seam gas mining.

“We are also calling for an independent study to identify and assess the potential risks associated with this mining – to our health, environment and other economic interests,” she said.

“Until this study is completed, and the regulations strengthened to open up the process to greater public scrutiny, the Greens are calling for a moratorium on all coal seam gas activity.”

Ms Cavanaugh said a scoping paper for a Coal and Gas Strategy for NSW was currently on public exhibition but it mainly focused on coal, something she said was indicated by the fact that all public meetings about the strategy were held in coal mining areas and none in the areas on the Clarence-Moreton Basin, which holds the greatest gas resources in the state.

“If the government were serious about strengthening the communication between government, industry and the community on mining-related matters, some detailed consultation would be occurring on the North Coast,” she said.

Ms Cavanaugh said a recent film titled Gasland, which reveals stories of environmental impacts associated with gas mining in shale beds across the United States, highlighted the potential risks of gas mining.

“While I acknowledge some of the details are different in our region due to the absence of hard shale beds, I would urge farmers and interested members of the community to see this film,” she said.

Ms Cavanaugh said Gasland would be screening at the Yamba Cinema in Coldstream St this Wednesday from 6.30pm.