By Helen Manusu, Manning River Times
It’s “one continuous bloody nightmare”, once coal seam gas mining exploration begins on a property, a witness told the opening session of Monday’s government inquiry into coal seam gas in Taree.
Cr John Rosenbaum, deputy mayor of Gloucester Shire Council, was one of five representatives from three local government councils invited to give evidence at the day-long hearing at Club Taree.
Speaking from his personal experience as a Gloucester landowner already affected by a mining company’s exploration practices, Cr Rosenbaum said the uncertainty of having your property under exploration licence “goes on and on and on” and could go on for the next five years.
The action of mining companies in gaining access to properties in the Gloucester, Manning and Great Lakes region for exploration purposes was one of the key issues at Monday morning’s opening sessions of the inquiry.
There was standing room only as 250 people packed the club’s new auditorium. The majority of the audience wore blue in some form, in support of the peaceful and organised Blue Day rally taking place outside, on the top level of the club’s carpark.
Among visitors to the inquiry were groups of school students from the Christian School, Taree High and St Clare’s High, who were given a special welcome, as the chairman said, “to watch democracy in action”.
Speakers from the three representative councils during the first session were united in their call for the government to establish a more meaningful and transparent community consultation and engagement process leading to the exploration of new areas for coal seam gas.
It was obvious, speakers said, that community concern for coal seam gas mining in the region was “very evident and very deep”.
Greater Taree City Council general manager Gerard Jose told the inquiry he believed a moratorium should be introduced until such time as there is “suitable scientific evidence in place” to ensure safety for residents and the environment.
“We need to protect our industries such as tourism and agriculture, to ensure future generations have access to water,” he said.
Great Lakes Council’s manager natural systems, Gerard Tuckerman, said for councils and the community to have confidence in coal seam gas mining, “a large body of information... needs to be able to be validated. It needs to be under-pinned by peer review”.
Under the current development process, which sees applicants provide scientific and environmental information “There is always suspicion” from the community, he said.
“Unfortunately the present process of ‘plan and defend’ has undermined the public trust.”
He said local govermment councils have very little experience in dealing with coal seam gas developments, and that puts them at a disadvantage in the consideration process.
“The best model would be one that the government puts in place,” he said.
He referred to the “unacceptable uncertainty” of CSG mining on the environment, saying his council had spent millions of dollars providing a large body of scientific data which council depends upon for long-term sustainability of the tourism, oyster and fishing industries in particular.
“I feel the same application of science needs to be applied in the case of coal seam gas mining. and that the same standards should apply as they have for other developing industries.”
Great Lakes Council’s director planning and environment Lisa Schiff told the inquiry the community needed to be “genuinely involved” in the approval process.
“Our recommendation is that best practice engagement processes be adopted so the decision-making process has the confidence of the community... so as to remove allegations of bias,” she said.
“Our council is very keen to see a very robust community engagement process that is fully independent and based on open-ness.”
But it was Gloucester’s Cr Rosenbaum who won the loudest acclamation and applause from the 250-strong audience when he related his personal experiences dealing with CSG exploration on his property.
Cr Rosenbaum told of a “huge personal concern” for the aquifers of the Gloucester valley.
“This matter is so complex, it needs greater consideration to be taken on board before AGL (one of the companies involved) should to be able to continue.”
He had a warning for the people of the Manning Valley and the Great Lakes: “Once it’s out and running you can expect it to grow rapidly, like a web.”
He aired “major health issues” from coal seam gas mining which he said had been “totally neglected. We need to know what is happening to the health of people in mining areas.”
Cr Rosenbaum drew loud applause when he referred to “the reality that no-one wants to live alongside gas wells.
“We have to put areas aside where these activities can take place,” he said.
“Let me assure you, coal seam gas mining is not for the good of the state, but for the good of the overseas companies.
“The exploration stage is a bloody joke, and the legislation needs to be tightened up.
“Exploration licences can be sat on for a long time and then sold off... it’s too long in the exploration stage,” he said.
When a company initially entered his property, “there was no mention of any infrastructure, no mention of any fraccing, and no mention of how many vehicles would come onto my property,” he said.
“Once you sign a contract to allow them to explore on your property, they do as they like. It doesn’t appear anyone is policing the contracts.
“They just treat you as though it’s their property. They might say they are invited guests, but I can assure you it’s not a good experience. It’s a continuous nightmare.
“As the property owner, everything you do is shut down... everything is stifled. There is not enough compensation... they offer you peanuts.
“Too often farmers just accept compensation of a thousand dollars and don’t even get lawyers to help them.
“The uncertainty of it all is just a nightmare.”
More coverage from the afternoon session of the inquiry at www.gloucesteradvocate.com.au
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