Australian Politics Forum - NSW govt freezes CSG exploration

bogarde73

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NSW govt freezes CSG exploration
Mar 26^th, 2014 at 2:49pm

Coal seam gas (CSG) exploration applications will be frozen for six months across NSW while the state government reviews the controversial process.

Premier Barry O'Farrell accused the former Labor government of granting petroleum exploration licences "like confetti" and warned the government would also audit existing licences.

"We're taking decisive action to ensure the state's resources are developed for the people of NSW and not for the benefit of Labor MPs, their cronies and their union mates," he told the chamber on Wednesday after making the announcement.

The six-month freeze will also allow the government to introduce a "new thorough regime" for allocating future licences, the premier said.

The government is concerned about the application process, which has seen small companies - sometimes run by one person - being allowed to explore large areas, despite not having the experience or financial backing for the projects.

Mr O'Farrell said the former Labor government granted 39 exploration licences while his government had yet to grant a single one.

Mr O'Farrell pointed out that three quarters of the licences granted under Labor were issued by former ministers Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald, who were later found to have acted corruptly by the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

The premier said the licences granted under Labor were handed out with "virtually no oversight and clearly no thought".

He slammed Labor for only charging $1000 for exploration applications, which was "less than Ian Macdonald spent on his average lunch".

That fee is now being raised to $50,000.

Resources Minister Anthony Roberts said the government was committed to ending Labor's practice of "flogging off the state's natural resources to their mates and business partners".

"We are sending a very clear message that only reputable operators are wanted in the state of NSW," he told parliament.

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mantra Gold Member Offline ozpolitic.com Posts: 10750 Gender:	Re: NSW govt freezes CSG exploration Reply #1 - Mar 26^th, 2014 at 2:59pm Good on him, although he is responsible for a few broken promises on CSG. Still curtailing the activity of these scavengers for a short period is a step in the right direction.
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Dsmithy70 Gold Member Offline ire futuis vobismetipsis Posts: 13147 Newy Gender:	Re: NSW govt freezes CSG exploration Reply #2 - Mar 26^th, 2014 at 3:04pm Well Done Barry Lets hope this remains a state issue & is not taken over by Tony.
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St George of the Garden Gold Member Offline http://tinyurl.com/n 3o8m2x Posts: 9809 Gender:	Re: NSW govt freezes CSG exploration Reply #3 - Mar 26^th, 2014 at 5:28pm Fatty O’Barrel up for election soon?
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mantra

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Re: NSW govt freezes CSG exploration
Reply #4 - Mar 26^th, 2014 at 5:42pm

St George of the Garden wrote on Mar 26^th, 2014 at 5:28pm:

Fatty O’Barrel up for election soon?

In 12 months. Alan Jones is partly responsible for his change of behaviour. He's been bringing O'Farrell to task over these mining issues. CSG exploration has become dangerously invasive and people are very worried.

He says six months, but if he hasn't cleaned it up by next year - he could lose to John Robertson who seems to be building Labor up a bit since the horrific Obeid affair - no easy task.

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Bam

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Re: NSW govt freezes CSG exploration
Reply #5 - Mar 26^th, 2014 at 5:52pm

bogarde73 wrote on Mar 26^th, 2014 at 2:49pm:

Premier Barry O'Farrell accused the former Labor government of granting petroleum exploration licences "like confetti" and warned the government would also audit existing licences.

The only thing wrong with O'Farrell's actions is that he should have acted sooner. Otherwise, credit where credit is due.

O'Farrell should cancel all the licences. We do not know the side effects of the technology behind coal seam gas. Any technology that relies on pumping who knows what into the ground in an uncontrolled manner cannot be without long-term harm.

We would be better off developing an energy source that does not rely on mining, or exploiting shale oil.

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St George of the Garden Gold Member Offline http://tinyurl.com/n 3o8m2x Posts: 9809 Gender:	Re: NSW govt freezes CSG exploration Reply #6 - Mar 26^th, 2014 at 6:19pm Thought it was pressure of an election.
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Grendel Gold Member Offline OzPolitic Posts: 28080 Gender:	Re: NSW govt freezes CSG exploration Reply #7 - Mar 27^th, 2014 at 7:33am Should have been done ages ago... greed it seems had much to do with it and an accident was the final straw that opened their tiny closed minds. One that wouldn't have happened if they had listened to the people and not the mining interests.
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Ex Dame Pansi Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 24168	Re: NSW govt freezes CSG exploration Reply #8 - Mar 27^th, 2014 at 7:51am WOOHOO!!!!
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Bam

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Re: NSW govt freezes CSG exploration
Reply #9 - Mar 27^th, 2014 at 9:22am

Legal advice about CSG contamination of food not disclosed

(ABC Online - Rural)
(Excerpt quoted - see link for full article)
Quote:

To date, there has been no contamination of meat by the coal seam gas sector.

But legal experts warn it’s only a matter of time before such an issue comes to court.

Just who is liable for damages, if a consumer falls ill and traces it back to petroleum exploration, is not clear.

The cattle industry attempted to find out last year, but the findings are not allowed to be released due to professional legal privilege.

“I think we have to be clear here," said Dugald Gordon, chief executive of the Australian Lot Feeders Association (ALFA).

“We got Safe Meat to look at this issue and whether it would pose a risk to producers, and they determined the risk is negligible, so we have to be careful about the language we use.

"Our markets are very sensitive on issues such as residues.

“Certainly we need to maintain a watching brief over this issue.”

The story has emerged this week, in a Beef Central report, that the Cattle Council and ALFA funded a project, managed by Meat and Livestock Australia, for legal advice on who in the supply chain is covered and who is liable.

But the detailed report has not been released. What's in the public domain is little more than a summary.

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skippy. Gold Member Offline Posts: 20882 Gender:	Re: NSW govt freezes CSG exploration Reply #10 - Mar 27^th, 2014 at 9:27am Good on you Bazza. Question has to be asked WHY? He's been in power three years, three years of CSG protests and nothing until now. Me thinks he's reading polls.
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bogarde73 Gold Member Offline Anti-Global & Contra Mundum Posts: 18443 Gender:	Re: NSW govt freezes CSG exploration Reply #11 - Mar 27^th, 2014 at 9:45am I suspect vast amounts of compensation from taxpayers funds might be incurred by unjustifiable cancellation of licenses. Can the state afford that?
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skippy. Gold Member Offline Posts: 20882 Gender:	Re: NSW govt freezes CSG exploration Reply #12 - Mar 27^th, 2014 at 9:51am bogarde73 wrote on Mar 27^th, 2014 at 9:45am: I suspect vast amounts of compensation from taxpayers funds might be incurred by unjustifiable cancellation of licenses. Can the state afford that? Can the state afford its food crops poisoned ? Or it's water? How about its beef and cattle? Or it's kids?
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St George of the Garden Gold Member Offline http://tinyurl.com/n 3o8m2x Posts: 9809 Gender:	Re: NSW govt freezes CSG exploration Reply #13 - Mar 27^th, 2014 at 9:52am Why didn’t Fatty think about that earlier?
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Armchair_Politician Gold Member Online Australian Politics Posts: 26285 Gender:	Re: NSW govt freezes CSG exploration Reply #14 - Mar 27^th, 2014 at 10:12am St George of the Garden wrote on Mar 27^th, 2014 at 9:52am: Why didn’t Fatty think about that earlier? He's lost a considerable amount of weight, which is very good for his health. He has also been in a media campaign to promote weight loss among men. What have you done, Elmer Dudd?
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