Threat to river by dredging: Ellem

Labor candidate Peter Ellem (left) talks to Yamba residents on Yamba Bay about the potential of coal seam gas pipelines coming down the Clarence River.

Debrah Novak

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TOURISM, the multi-million dollar fishing industry, farming and the lifeblood of the Valley, the Clarence River, are under threat from the coal seam gas industry, says Country Labor candidate Peter Ellem.

On the eve of the Clarence by-election, Mr Ellem called on the O'Farrell Government to rule out allowing the Clarence or Evans rivers to be dredged to support offshore coal seam gas (CSG) processing facilities on the North Coast.

"Metgasco has already flagged a proposal to build a floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility off the North Coast to process coal seam gas from Casino and export overseas," he said.

"If Metgasco is allowed to proceed with these plans, we could see the Clarence or Evans rivers being dredged so a pipeline could be built from Casino out to sea.

"Dredging the Clarence or Evans rivers would see us facing a pulp mill-style scenario like the region faced in the 1980s, which would have a disastrous impact on the fishing, tourism and farming industries."

Mr Ellem said NSW Labor's stance on CSG mining was clear.

"Until the science is in, we should suspend all current coal seam gas exploration licences, cease issuing extraction licences and refuse any applications to expand existing operations."

Mr Ellem challenged Nationals candidate Chris Gulaptis to reveal whether he will fight coal seam gas mining and any plans to dredge the Clarence or Evans rivers to support the industry.

Mr Gulaptis said he would never stand idle and see the Clarence electorate's natural resources destroyed.

"Peter Ellem's pipeline lie is just another in a long line of examples of how the only thing he and Labor can offer the people of Clarence is fear," he said.

"I will never stand to see our beautiful natural resources damaged by any activity, commercial or otherwise, but to have to respond to every hypothetical scenario is crazy."

Metgasco external relations manager Richard Shields said the offshore facility was only a proposal and no planning had been done to see where a pipeline would go.

"I can guarantee this: there will be no dredging of any rivers," he said.