By GARY FRY
Caption:
NSW Land and Water Commissioner, Jock Laurie, with AMRC Chair and Wollondilly Mayor Col Mitchell and Executive Officer Don Tydd of Armidale. Photo: DANIELI STUDIOS
THE Association of Mining Related Councils been briefed on the latest in NSW Government approaches to mining, particularly Coal Seam Gas (CSG).
Council delegates were addressed by the NSW Land and Water Commissioner, Jock Laurie, Bronwen O’Dwyer from the recently established NSW Office of CSG; the Director of Environmental Sustainability and Mineral Resources NSW, Stephen Barry and Richard Neville from the NSW Office of Water.
Grassroots consultation, environmental concerns and conditions compliance policing by the State Government were key areas of discussion.
Association delegates expressed concerns from their respective communities regarding compliance with mining conditions.
They were advised that the NSW Government will soon have a number of compliance officers in various departments, policing adherence to mining conditions and regulations across the State, with a recruitment process now under way.
The mining-affected council representatives were told that compliance officers would be out on the ground, providing ’best-practice’ information, in addition to checking that CSG drilling was operating within the legislation and not in breach of any laws or conditions of consent.
The AMRC delegates found the NSW Government departmental leaders receptive to the issues they raised and the insights that they provided.
Association of Mining Related Councils Chair and Wollondilly Mayor Col Mitchell explained the CSG frustration in local government.
“CSG decisions have been made at a State Government level, without much, if any, engagement with the local council,” Cr Mitchell said.
“Yet our councils are seen as the responsible, representative body by their communities, particularly in regards to development approvals.”
“Talk of consultation with local councils and communities regarding CSG is too late but as the saying goes, ‘it’s better late than never’,” he said.
“It is great to see the NSW Government start to make genuine attempts to consult with communities; to understand and possibly address their concerns but the horse has already bolted.”
Cr Mitchell said that in Wollondilly Shire and other local government areas in the AMRC, neither the NSW Government nor the CSG companies had consulted with communities and councils adequately to date.
“I recently chaired a community meeting with 300 attendees. All they wanted was information,” he said. “They weren’t radical protesters, just residents seeking the facts – that’s happening throughout regional NSW.”
The impact of CSG on water is a concern in many NSW Local Government areas. AMRC delegates were told of the data available through the NSW Office of Water, which can entail records or live monitoring of water levels.
“Hearing from these NSW Government officials was an opportunity welcomed by members of the Association of Mining Related Councils. It was a mutually beneficial exchange and I hope we can meet again in the near future,” Cr Mitchell said.
