(We apologise that this article was not published in the hard copy edition of Vanguard)
Ned K.
The
“Lock The Gate” campaign against the expansion in to agricultural land by Coal
Seam Gas (CSG) companies is spreading at a rapid rate across Australia wherever
the profit hungry CGS companies appear. CSG exploration using the method of
fracking is strongly opposed by thousands of rural communities and regional
communities.
Fracking
involves the creation of fractures in rock formations underground by injecting
fluids containing toxic chemicals in solution into cracks to force them to
open. The larger fissures allow oil and gas to flow out of the formation and in
to the well bore from where it can be extracted. Large volumes of water are
required to mix with the chemicals in the process.
Opposition
to CSG exploration and mining is activating people who would see themselves as
‘law abiding citizens’ and would never have seen the day coming when they were
standing on a picket line at a farm gate to prevent a CSG exploration vehicle
and equipment from driving on to their farm or vineyard or their neighbours’.
In fact many would have voted for the Liberal/National Parties Coalition not
just for decades but generations but now can see that neither major political
party is a reliable ally in their fight against the CSG companies.
A
case in point is the Upper South East small town of Robe and its local
government Council. Robe is a small coastal town which comes to life for three
months in summer as a laid back holiday destination. It is the last place you
would expect to see “Lock The Gate” signs on farm gates in the area or a local
hall meeting to organise action against CSG mining company Beach Energy. Beach
Energy has a petroleum licence to drill in the Robe area and already drilled
once to a depth of 4.5 kilometres!
However
in January this year the Robe Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing
CSG in the South East and calling for the state government to declare a
moratorium on all/any CGS exploration and mining. The resolution reflected
local people’s concerns not only about the intrusion of CSG mining on farm land,
but also the impact on the vast naturally occurring fresh water aquifer system
on the whole community, including the viticulture and wine industry in the
South East.
At
one of a series of public meetings in the South East organised by local people,
the Mayor of Robe attended and spoke about the Council’s resolution and said
that other local government Councils in the South East would be approached to
support similar resolutions.
Another
speaker at the meeting said that there was widespread support for the Lock The
Gate movement in the South East, including from the wine industry in the
region. Picketing of locations where Beach Energy and other companies intended
to start drilling were being organised and many local people had already
committed to take a stand at any ‘Lock The Gate” farm entrance.
Fracking
as a method of extracting coal seam gas has also met fierce resistance in the
USA. In Massachussetts, the state parliament was about to debate a Bill banning
any fracking for 10 years. The tide against these voracious mining and
petroleum companies is turning.
................
Further Reading:
Report on Robe community rally:
https://www.facebook.com/Lock.The.Gate.Alliance
http://www.lockthegate.org.au/
No comments:
Post a Comment