UPDATED: Australia’s conservative Liberal-National government has decided to intervene in New South Wales to re-start the state’s stalled Coal Seam Gas (CSG) industry, however the state government seems happy to continue with its current situation.
Federal Resources Minister Ian Macfarlane said he had spoken to the conservative Liberal-National state premier Barry O’Farrell and would be forming a committee of various stakeholders to find a real solution to the state’s “gas challenge”.
ABC News reports Mr Macfarlane told an energy summit in the state capital, Sydney, today that thousands of jobs were at stake unless opposition to CSG could be overcome.
He said it was one of his biggest priorities.
“It’s too urgent. We’ve got to sort this out quickly,” Mr Macfarlane said.
“We’ve got to get the drill rigs going, where the farmers want them going, where the geology’s safe, where the water’s safe, where the environment’s safe, we’ve got to get them going by Christmas if we can.”
ABC News reports that at the summit a number of protesters, led by New England farmer David Quince, were bundled away by security.
“Unreal, it’s supposed to be a stakeholders meeting for gas and people from the agriculture and the bush that this sort of industry is going to impact on and we’re not invited here.
“It’s just unbelievable, unbelievable,” Mr Quince said.
There has been widespread opposition to the spread of CSG mining throughout NSW with many farmers and citizens expressing concern about the effects the hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking’, process has on water resources.
The Liberal-National government will form a committee of farmers, gas producers, consumers and other stakeholders to come up with solutions to fast-track projects.
“We’re not stepping in over anyone.
“This is a co-operation between all people involved in the gas industry,” Mr Macfarlane said.
He says the CSG industry should be treated the same way in every state and territory.
“Whatever the buffer zone is in Queensland is the same in NSW, is the same in Victoria, is the same in South Australia, is the same in the Northern Territory, is the same in Western Australia and is the same in Tasmania if they’ve got any coal seam,” Mr Macfarlane said.
“The ACT people tell me they haven’t, but if they have we have the same rules. It’s called harmonisation.”
ABC News reports NSW Energy and Resources Minister Chris Hartcher said he was happy to work with the federal government to encourage more CSG investment, but said the state would not weaken its buffer zone rules which ban CSG exploration within two kilometres of residential zones and horse-breeding and wine-making areas.
“We will not be altering in this state our protective framework, that we regard as non-negotiable,” Mr Hartcher said.
“The regulatory framework is here, the regulatory framework stays.”
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has also said he is confident NSW can follow the lead set to its north.
“There is little doubt that we have done better in Queensland.
“The (conservative Liberal National Party) Newman Government seems to have been very good at ensuring that land holders are reasonably content with the arrangements that have been entered into for gas extraction on their property,” Mr Abbott said.
“The important thing is to get the balance right and I am confident that that’s exactly why the O’Farrell Government is having this conference in Sydney today.”
Meanwhile, the Australian Greens Party has said any move to standardise CSG laws nationwide will weaken environmental protections.
“I’m not surprised Ian Macfarlane is championing Queensland’s regime,” Australian Greens mining spokesperson Senator Larissa Waters said.
“Under those laws we’ve seen the three big coal and gas companies steamroll over our best food-producing land and trash our Great Barrier Reef with massive ports in Gladstone Harbour.
“So, sadly, I think Queensland is the example that you don’t want to follow,” Senator Waters added.
