In a four vote to three decision Gloucester Shire Council supported a call for a moratorium on coal seam gas operations until a scientific review of the industry is completed, at its December meeting last Wednesday.
In a debate watched by around 20 members of the public, councillors debated the issue with Cr John Rosenbaum, who presented the motion, calling on councillors to “make a stand on wherther we support a moratorium or not”.
Council also voted on a separate item from MidCoast Water’s sustainable water cycle management committee to consider a coal seam gas common position statement from its member councils, Gloucester, Greater Taree and Great Lakes.
The position statement was adopted by council after some debate about the protocol of how the matter was presented to council.
Cr Jim Henderson raised concern that the paper had not been to the MidCoast Water board before being circulated to councils while Cr Julie Lyford, a member of the committee that drafted the statement, said the committee had wanted it to go to all councillors first before being addressed by the MidCoast board.
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