By Stephanie Dale No Fibs CSG editor The pilot No Fibs CSG citizen journalism project is winding up. It’s been an absolutely wonderful project to be involved in – in just four weeks we’ve harnessed the talents of 13 new citizen journalists and triggered the interest of many more. We’ve introduced new writers and showcased […]
An uneasy truce: Sally MacKinnon reports
November 16, 2013
By Sally MacKinnon I live on top of a mountain on the edge of Lamington National Park, the largest protected subtropical rainforest in the world. It is on the eastern edge of the Scenic Rim region, a Local Government Area (LGA) in south-east Queensland covering 4256 square kilometres. It is home to approximately 39,000 […]
#CSG showdown in Gloucester @1earthmedia reports
November 16, 2013
By Mark Anning reports from Gloucester, NSW The NSW Government is considering an application by giant gas company AGL to begin the controversial and risky process of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, at Forbesdale, just south of Gloucester in the Manning Valley NSW – less than 300 metres from the nearest family home and less than 600 […]
Ad blitz masks truth of boom industry – Jason Egbars @jasonegbars reports
November 12, 2013
By Jason Egbars Queensland commuters have been hit with an advertising blitz as the coal seam gas industry prepares to increase operations in Queensland. On Friday, Shell banners adorned a walkway to Brisbane’s Central Station. The banners made reference to ‘cleaner electricity’ and encouraged passersby to ‘find out why we’re investing in natural gas’. Shell-owned […]
#CSG: Conspiracies, mouthpieces and independence: Mark Anning @1earthmedia reports
November 7, 2013
By Mark Anning On 28 July 2013, the oil and gas industry peak body – Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) – issued a press release, stating: “The recent coal seam gas episode of ABC 2’s Shitsville Express was a pleasant surprise – a balanced piece of reporting on coal seam gas.” Shitsville Express […]
Lobbyists and public commentary: Reith in the spotlight – Mark Anning @1EarthMedia reports
November 1, 2013
By Mark Anning It was interesting to see the opinion piece written by Peter Reith for The Drum – Fracking scare campaigns threaten our prosperity – especially considering Reith is a paid political lobbyist and chairman of the Victorian Government’s task force on the eastern gas market. “The public debate is soon mired in myriad false claims, partly […]
Occupy East Coast Gas Conference – Melinda Wilson reports
October 31, 2013
NEWS COMMENT By Melinda Wilson Over a hundred people from a wide range of community groups across Sydney and NSW voiced their concerns about the coal seam gas industry outside the East Coast Gas Outlook Conference in Sydney last week. Government and industry were at the 22 October conference to discuss ways for agriculture and […]
Same state, different rules: Penny Blatchford @NoCSGGurley asks why some people in NSW get special treatment?
October 31, 2013
By Penny Blatchford Most Australians enjoy the freedom to make choices about their lives – whom we marry, if we will have children, where we live and where we work. It would seem for people like me who choose to marry a farmer, have a family, live on the farm and make that farm our […]
Black Rain: Waiting for results in Tara – Rob Rimmer reports
October 29, 2013
By Rob Rimmer On August 2, 2013 Western Downs resident Steve Ansford made a complaint to Origin Energy’s local office at Chinchilla regarding mysterious environmental and health impacts occurring on his property at Upper Humbug Road, near Tara in Queensland. For the second day running, southerly winds appeared to have brought an overnight shower: drops […]
Six years in a dust storm: life near a coal mine Aileen Harrison reports
October 28, 2013
By Aileen Harrison* In April 1998 we moved into our dream home at Highland Plains, near Acland, Queensland, starting a tourist attraction with bus loads of tourists arriving to see our alpacas, as well as our craft and memorabilia display. Alas for us, the Acland open cut coal mine started up in August 2002. We […]
