Candidates dig in to gas debate

A candidates’ forum organised by the Nature Conservation Council (NCC) of NSW to discuss environmental issues in the lead up to this weekend’s state election had a disappointing turn out, both from candidates and from the public. Only Lismore Greens candidate Sue Stock, Lismore Labor candidate Andrew Moy and Ballina Christian Democrat Bruce Kemp attended the forum. The Coalition’s Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Catherine Cusack was due to attend, but had to cancel to be at another appointment in Sydney on Wednesday morning.

The NCC of NSW, in association with a number of other peak environmental organisations had prepared a document called Natural Advantage that outlined 10 priority areas with detailed policy commitments they are seeking, but the discussion in Lismore was dominated by the issue of coal seam gas mining.

NCC CEO Pepe Clarke said the issue had dominated similar forums around the state and that the Department of Industry and Investment, charged with regulating the industry, had “been caught napping”.

Sue Stock and Bruce Kemp both said they were in favour of a moratorium on any new approvals until tighter controls on the practice could be put in place and said they would investigate whether retrospective legislation could be implemented on current approvals. Andrew Moy acknowledged he was hampered by Labor Party policy, but said he would push for a private member’s bill that would guarantee landowners that there would be no detrimental affects to their property as a result of mining.

Premier Kristina Keneally recently announced a 10-point plan on the coal and coal seam gas industries, with the main points a ban on mining licences in waterways adjoining National Parks and a ban on the use of Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene (BTEX) chemicals in coal seam gas operations.

The Echo contacted local Nationals candidates Thomas George and Steve Cansdell as to their policy towards the ever-expanding coal seam gas industry and was directed to the Coalition’s Strategic Regional Land Use policy.

The policy has four main aims: 1) A precautionary approach in granting exploration licences, 2) Explicit agriculture impact assessments as part of environmental impact statement, 3) The introduction of the Aquifer Interference Regulation and 4) the removal of up front cash payments at the exploration stage.

The NSW Farmers Association has been leading the call for a moratorium on coal seam gas mining, but CEO Matt Brand has welcomed the Coalition’s policy, in particular the recognition of land areas “where mining and coal seam gas extraction should not occur” and the creation of an Independent Office of Food Security and Agricultural Sustainability within a re-established Department of Agriculture.