Mullumbimby Community Action Network

Originally published 08Nov2012

mullum-zine

SESMIC RELEASE: Mullum meet: SAVE N COAST WEBSITE

Newsletter 112
8 Nov 2012

RE: SEISMIC PROTEST CASINO:

MEETING FOR LOCK THE GATE MULLUM: Thurs 15 Nov.

SAVE NORTH COAST NATURE; new website – please check this; our current environmental protection could be wiped out by Minister Hazzard.



Greetings

I am a bit slow to pass on all the Action Alerts ... if you want up to the minute info please connect with lock-the-northern-riversatgooglegroupsdotcom or BSANE network nocsginnorthernriversatgmaildotcom. Please note Amica Sanday is coordinator for Byron Shire and her email is amicasandayatgmaildotcom; her no is 66803230 if you live in Byron Shire and want to be involved in getting your road and/or community locked to gasfield mining. Do you want seismic testing here?


MULLUMBIMBY GF MEETING Thursday 15 November 6 pm - please contact Deborah (coordinator for Mullum area) 66843723 if you want to come.



MEDIA RELEASE: 7TH NOVEMBER 2012

SEISMIC PROTEST CONTINUES AS RESIDENTS REJECT METGASCO SPIN

Northern rivers residents will gather in Casino today to protest the continuing seismic work being carried out by Metgasco. The protest will re-affirm the commitment of local communities to peaceful and determined opposition to an industry that threatens the land, water, natural values and public health of our region.
"Despite Metgasco's claims that it is harmless, seismic testing is the first step in a process that will lead to largescale gas field industrialisation of our region," said Elly Bird of CSG-free Lismore.
"All Northern Rivers residents have a stake in the issue- if this industry expands as planned it will negatively impact both our land and water resources and the industries that we all rely upon," she said.
"While some people may be uncomfortable protesting themselves, the majority of people don"t want this polluting industry in our region and support peaceful protest to oppose it," said Dean Draper of Richmond Valley GAG.
"We have now surveyed hundreds of residents in localities around Casino such as Greenridge/Tatham and Dobie"s Bight/Dyraaba/Stratheden and have found that around 85% do not want to live in a gas field."
"Many of these people live near gas wells and have already experienced the noise from CSG drill rigs, pumps and generators that destroys the peace and quiet of their rural environment."
"The latest claims by Metgasco that they are currently testing for conventional gas reserves is another example of how they use spin and misinformation to attempt to win public acceptance for their damaging industry," said Boudicca Cerese of Kyogle GAG.
"Publically available documents[1] clearly state that much of Metgasco"s so-called ‘conventional" gas reserves in the region are in fact ‘tight" gas- that is gas which is held in relatively impermeable or nonporous rock reservoirs."
"Unlike conventional gas, tight gas reservoirs typically require large numbers of wells and large and often multiple fracking treatments in order to achieve an economically adequate production rate[2]."
"So obviously the impacts of a tight gas production field are going to be much greater than for a conventional field- with a larger land surface area impacted and all the issues associated with fracking such as chemical contamination of ground and surface waters, intensive water usage and increased risk of earthquakes."
Contacts: Elly Bird 0418 639 927 FREE 0418 639 927
Dean Draper 0423 753 748 FREE 0423 753 748
Boudicca Cerese 0431 513 546 FREE 0431 513 546
lock-the-northern-riversatgooglegroupsdotcom

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[1] Baillieu Research Investor Report June 2011. from http://www.metgasco.com.au/page/broker_reports.html
[2] http://www.holditch.com/Portals/66/Tight%20Gas%20Sands_2006.pdf

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VERY IMPORTANT NEW WEBSITE –

SAVE NORTH COAST NATURE

PLEASE HAVE A LOOK!!

The Save North Coast Nature campaign website went live this week and submissions are already flowing in... http://www.northcoastnature.org.au/

Please forward this link (and a blurb relevant to the receiver) to as many of your networks as you see fit. The power of this website will be best realised by spreading the word far and wide and prompting people to participate and then spread further through their own networks.

Thanks for your help.




SAMPLE MESSAGE for you to send to your networks
-----------------------------------
Hello,

Brad Hazzard, the NSW Minister for Planning and Infrastructure plans to wipe out environmental protections from over 45 000 hectares of the far north coast"s forests, wetlands and wildlife habitats to allow fast tracking of destructive development.

Please go to http://www.northcoastnature.org.au to take action by adding your name to letters in support of environmental protection zoning. Also it is worth visiting the website just to look at the beautiful nature pictures.

If you live in Byron Shire you may be aware our LEP (Local Environment Plan) is being redrafted. The http://www.northcoastnature.org.au website has lots of info on this issue as well as a great page to help add even more weight to the campaign for those living on or owning rural property by personalising a submission relating to environmental protection - so check out http://www.northcoastnature.org.au/other/welcome-byron-rural-landowners

Our last LEP has helped protect our environmental assets for the last 25 years. It is essential we get the next LEP right, so do not let the State Government override our community's and council's vision to enhance our environment while maintaining our beautiful and productive rural lands and amenity. Lets tell our meddling, development-driven State Government to pull its head in.

Thankyou for taking action on this important issue... it will take you less time than it did to read this email, so please do it now.