By Phil Laird Weeks of rumours that peak industry bodies were providing input into the proposed amendments to the Petroleum (Onshore) Act, regarding access agreements and permits, finally found their way into social media. The Act has had amendments proposed, the most controversial of which are about access to land for petroleum (read: unconventional […]
Byron Shire quick off the NO GAS mark: Sarah Buchanan reports
By Sarah Buchanan Byron Shire’s white fella past has seen some biggish mistakes over its 130-year history – and last week Byron Shire Council took a vote for country, at last. Firstly in 1770 Captain Cook changed the Arakwal’s perfectly adequate name of Cavvanbah (meeting place) to Byron Bay, which Cook named after the ‘circumnavigator […]
Occupy East Coast Gas Conference – Melinda Wilson reports
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?
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 […]
Six years in a dust storm: life near a coal mine Aileen Harrison reports
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 […]
Treated CSG water to be pumped into town water supply – story seeking CJ @stephaniedale22
Treated coal seam gas water will be pumped into Chinchilla‘s drinking supply, under a new scheme announced by Western Downs Regional Council. QGC (formerly Queensland Gas Company) has announced it will begin pumping 80 megalitres of treated water a day to the Chinchilla weir, for use in agriculture and for domestic purposes. Western Downs mayor, […]