The drill rig, owned by drilling and engineering company AJ Lucas, travelled to Gloucester late last week from the northern rivers after mining company Metgasco suspended its CSG extraction plans in the area. 

The rig is for the final stage of previous exploration and water monitoring activities to satisfy conditional approval requirements.

While dozens of opponents of CSG have offered their services to protest against the arrival of the rig via Facebook, the Barrington Gloucester Stroud Preservation Alliance and the Manning Clean Water Action Group have both called for a calmer, more measured approach.

In a post on the ‘Save Gloucester’ Facebook page, the Manning Clean Water Action Group said the local community was “engaged in a very broad range of counter CSG and mining activities”.

“Can everyone recognise that Gloucester is an isolated and conservative community with a population of just 2000?” the post read. 

“They do not enjoy the same demographics as the northern rivers communities. Nevertheless, Gloucester managed a very effective blockade last year. 

“There are many ways to skin a cat. It would be really helpful if the northern rivers people and 

people everywhere can pledge their support for Gloucester and promise to offer their bodies for non-violent direct action and blockades if and when they become necessary.”

The alliance has asked opponents of CSG and the Gloucester Gas Project to write to the Premier asking him why Gloucester has not been included in legislation requiring 2km exclusion zones around residential areas and critical industry clusters. 

- Meanwhile, AGL says proposed new laws recognising water as a trigger for federal government assessment of coal seam gas and large coal mine developments will not hinder stage one development of its Gloucester Gas Project.

In a statement AGL said it was confident existing protections in Australia’s national environment law already covered key water concerns announced by federal Environment Minister Tony Burke last week. 

“Our projects already go through rigorous water and environmental assessment at both the State and federal level and AGL proactively monitors local water levels and water quality characteristics,” a spokeswoman for the company said.  

“Stage one of AGL’s Gloucester Gas Project has already been assessed by the Independent Expert Scientific Committee on water issues and subsequently approved by Minister Burke.  

“We expect that further stages of the project would also undergo this rigorous assessment as well as any additional assessment, as part of the proposed federal regulations.”

Lyne MP Rob Oakeshott said changes to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment Bill including water resources as a new matter of national environment significance were welcome, but had come too late for Gloucester.

“It’s a bitter-sweet moment for Gloucester, where AGL’s project was approved by the federal minister just a month ago because, under the existing Act, his consideration was limited to threatened species,” Mr Oakeshott said.

“If there is good news for Gloucester it’s that stages two to five of the project, another 220 wells, will have to be referred to the federal environment minister for consideration.”