Get Up to gas mining protest forum

PROPOSED coal seam gas mining across the Clarence Valley and beyond is getting many members of the community hot under the collar.

But now there is a forum in which those who are concerned can have their say and force governments to put a stop to this controversial and environmentally destructive process.

Community advocacy group Get Up has launched a petition calling for governments to put strict regulations in place in relation coal seam gas mining.

With carcinogenic BTEX chemicals found near the Queensland town of Dalby, concern is rife that the industry poses serious threats to the environment.

Companies exploring the Clarence Moreton basin for coal seam gas reserves include LNG Ltd, Metgasco Ltd and the BHP Billiton-owned Red Sky Energy.

To encourage people to sign the petition the Get Up website states: “From Sydney’s water supply catchment to the rich agricultural lands of the Liverpool Plains and the Darling Downs, the coal seam gas industry is expanding at breakneck speed.”

“People’s health is under threat, our nation’s farmland being eroded away and the country’s precious aquifers permanently damaged.

“Together, we can show the government that people right across the country are appalled by the impacts of coal seam gas.”

Get Up promotes itself as an independent movement to build a progressive Australia and bring participation back into our democracy.

To sign the petition visit www.getup.org.au/campaigns/coal-seam-gas/petition.