By NIKKI TODD
A PETITION bearing the signatures of more than 12,000 people opposed to coal seam gas exploration and mining on the North Coast has been sent to the NSW Government.
Labor MPs Justine Elliot (Richmond) and Janelle Saffin (Page) joined forces in Lismore last Friday before posting their petition to Sydney.
The MPs, who have both declared their opposition to CSG in northern NSW, began the petition six months ago after widespread community opposition to expansion of the industry in the region.
“Thanks to everyone who signed our petition,’’ Ms Elliot said.
“Let’s keep working together to keep the pressure on our state National Party MPs and demand they listen to the community and act to protect our region.
“To date, the National Party continues to ignore the people of the North Coast and instead pursues their pro-CSG drilling, fracking and expansion agenda.”
Under NSW legislation, any petition with more than 10,000 signatures must be debated by parliament. While some environmental triggers concerning mining fall under federal jurisdiction, mining exploration licences and leases are the domain of state governments.
The petition followed the launch of the Greens’ policy on CSG, which demands no new exploration licences be granted in Australia and those already issued be revoked by state governments. Meanwhile, anti-CSG community group Lock the Tweed has called on Nationals candidate Matthew Fraser to “get real’’ on CSG. Mr Fraser has rejected CSG as a major issue in the Tweed, saying no CSG existed in the electorate.
But Lock the Tweed spokesman Michael McNamara said whether Mr Fraser liked it or not, CSG was an important issue in the region.
“Despite the fact Dart Energy and the NSW State Aboriginal Land Council are willing to take the commercial risk of exploring for CSG here, (Mr Fraser) continues to maintain there are no commercially viable reserves of CSG in the Richmond electorate and, therefore, that CSG is not an issue in this electorate,” Mr McNamara said.
“His supporters are also, reportedly, telling voters at pre-polling that there is ‘no CSG in the Richmond electorate’ as they are entering the polling places. Unless he has x-ray vision he can’t know this!
“The only way to know whether or not commercially viable CSG deposits exist in the Richmond electorate is to undertake exploration drilling. This is just what communities do not want!’’
