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coal seam gas

23 Nov 2011

Premier Snubs Gas Opponents

By Kate Ausburn

csg petition

Barry O'Farrell didn't show up to receive petitions at a rally on goal seam gas this week. Community groups are concerned that the NSW Premier isn't taking the issue seriously, reports Kate Ausburn

NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell snubbed 20,000 people from around NSW who added their name to the call for coal seam gas to be debated in parliament when he failed to show for a handover of petitions outside parliament yesterday.

Before the state election O’Farrell promised a parliamentary debate on any issue with a petition that received over 10,000 signatures of support. For the past few months community groups from around the state concerned about CSG development have collected signatures and yesterday rallied outside of Parliament House in Sydney hoping to give the petitions to the Premier.

Rally organisers sent a request to O’Farrell on 26 October inviting him to attend the event. Even with four weeks notice, the Premier failed to show up.

The protesters sung "C’mon Barry, c’mon, c’mon" before chanting "Shame, Barry, shame" when told the Premier did not intend to come outside to meet with them.

Jess Moore from community action group Stop CSG Illawarra called the snub "obnoxious" and said that O’Farrell’s no-show was a mark of disrespect toward the thousands of people from around the state who are worried about the CSG industry. "He’s not taking this issue seriously," she said.

O’Farrell’s Coalition colleague Gareth Ward fronted the rally to receive the petitions and assured the crowd he would pass them on to the Premier.

Ward said that the issue of CSG would be debated in parliament because the community demanded it — but was quick to remind the crowd that the existing CSG exploration and production licences had been granted under previous Labor governments.

Opposition Leader John Robertson responded telling the rally that his party is now calling for a suspension of all CSG licences until studies had been undertaken to verify that underground water would be protected. "We do not want to see any new coal seam gas licences," he said.

Protesters said they welcomed Labor’s "back-flip" on CSG and invited the Coalition to support Labor’s newly adopted position.

Greens MLA Jamie Parker and Labor MLA Ryan Park also attended the rally and committed to supporting a "real debate" on CSG.

The petition calls on the state government to impose a ban on fracking. It calls for a royal commission into the impacts of CSG and for an immediate moratorium on the industry.

Lock the Gate president Drew Hutton told the rally that the there was already a people’s moratorium against CSG. Referring to the recent successful blockade against Santos by Liverpool Plains farmers, Hutton said industry and government could expect continuing "respectful civil disobedience". He said, "Every time the gas companies try to come on to our land we will blockade them, we will block the gate to lock the gate."

Premier O’Farrell made no comment on his no-show at the community rally.

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This user is a New Matilda supporter.
Grumpy293
Posted Thursday, 24 November 11 at 1:19PM

Don’t be silly you wouldn’t expect O’Farrell to make an apperance it would mean he would have to listen to peoples’ concerns and it would mean he would loose money for himself.

Bugger what the people say or how it will affect or disrupt their lives, so long as he and his fat cat sidekicks are getting their share.

This user is a New Matilda supporter.
dazza
Posted Tuesday, 29 November 11 at 1:48PM

Just as Capt’n (or is it Admiral) Bligh here in Qld refuses to properly discuss the damage being done by CSG fracking and water use.
Too much money coming in to Govt. offers to worry about country voters, who never vote for Labor anyway. And never will, at this rate. But O’Farrell is just into a four year term with massive majority, and would normally, as a Lib/Nat have to keep country voters on side, but now reckons he can get away without worrying about them.
Dirty stinking money, such as from GSC AND COAL, (and uranium) is as welcome to them as any other. Possibly more so, as their rich mates are involved in it, and the pollies themselves probably also have shares.
Bligh seem to think that a massive dirt campaign against “Yap Yap” and the LNP will get them over the line at the next elections, despite widespread hatred of her, especially. Dazza.