Mullumbimby Community Action Network

Originally published 24Jan2013

mullum-zine

CSG funding UQ: kyogle: GetUp! csg campaign

Newsletter 122
24 January 2013

*PLEASE DISSEMINATE RAPIDLY*
Message from csgfreenortherrivers


BACKGROUND
• Dr Kim de Rijke from University of Queensland is in the region seeking interviews with activists in our social movement
• UQ gets funding from the CSG Industry for their - "Sustainable Minerals Institute - Centre for Coal Seam Gas"
• Dr Kim de Rijke's department of Social Sciences is listed as a partner of the UQ Sustainable Minerals Institute - Centre for Coal Seam Gas


RECOMMENDATION
A small working group will liaise with Dr de Rijke to find out more about his research and his ethics framework.
Until this negotiation has taken place, we strongly recommend:
• Politely decline to do an interview with Dr de Rijke
• If you've already done an interview, don't worry. Email him to withdraw your consent until we know more about him and risks associated with his research.
• Do not give Dr de Rijke information about other people in our social movement

Please note that Kim de Rijke may be very genuine. Be polite at all times. This is not personal, but related to the fact that the University of Qld receives funding from the CSG industry for CSG research.

There is overwhelming evidence for why universities had to refuse funding from Big Tobacco and other industries that put communities at risk. See attached article.
Research on invasive gas mining requires the same careful impartiality. This is especially important when the stakes are high in terms of social, health and ecological harm; huge profits; governments playing 'catch up'; an army of lobbyists; an industry PR machine; poor monitoring and enforcement; huge power imbalance between landowners and resource companies; and institutional failure to protect communities, natural resources and people.



ORANGE ALERT

KYOGLE

DOUBTFUL CREEK


Yellow Alert (keep watching emails and FB sites for next alert) - calling Lock the Gaters to the Metgasco work site near Kyogle next to Eden Creek State Forest - people needed, spread the word please
Just had a message that police are assembling across the road from forest entrance to
'Metgasco's Doubtful Creek well site. There is a quarry there, it is suggested they are perhaps preparing to move gravel onto the well site. Anyone who is able to assist ASAP or is in the area your support is requested.

If the law is an ass are we obliged to obey it?
http://aidanricketts.com/if-the-law-is-an-ass-are-we-obliged-to-obey-it-northern-rivers-echo/


Brian Monk's "Gas for Lunch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Hc5SEbp-GSw


And from GETUP! "Is NSW fracked?


WHAT YOU CAN DO for the cause . . .

Hi deborah,

Since we sent out this urgent coal seam gas action calling on the state government to keep their promise about coal seam gas mining, even more concerns have been revealed. The Sydney Morning Herald has exposed advice from the government's own health department about the serious health risks involved in coal seam gas mining and the absolute failure of the government to properly assess those risks. As published on the front page of the Herald, here's what NSW Health had to say[1]:

"Comprehensive assessment would be required to establish the full range of potential health risks, which may include risks associated with air pollution, ground and surface water contamination and noise. The information available does not allow a comprehensive assessment of potential risks to human health".

deborah, your MP is waiting to hear from you. They'll only act when they keep hearing from person after person throughout their electorate. As your representative in parliament it is their responsibility to take carriage of the issues that are important to you and others in your area. 2638 GetUp members from across NSW have already written to their local Liberal or National member of parliament asking them to lobby the Premier to abide by his promises and stop our communities from becoming gasfields. Can you join other GetUp members and ask your MP to protect our homes, land and water from CSG? Click here to use our simple online form to send them a message, it will only take a few minutes of your time: http://www.getup.org.au/broken-promises

Thanks for being part of this,
the GetUp team.

----original email below----

Breaking: The Sydney Morning Herald has revealed that NSW is at greater risk from "fracking"* as energy companies push to set up gasfields in suburbs according to NSW's Chief Scientist2. Contact your local State government member now and let them know you expect them to proect your community from CSG: http://www.getup.org.au/broken-promises

Dear deborah,

Coal seam gas giant AGL has broken its pledge to not use fracking, a risky and damaging gas-mining technique, in the Sydney suburbs. This promise not to frack was backed by Premier, Barry O'Farrell, who said the plan was to "horizontally drill under people's homes"3.

But it's not just AGL that has misled us and it's not just Sydney under threat. Premier O'Farrell has broken promise after promise when it comes to coal seam gas and mining and we can't let them get away with it any longer.

The NSW Cabinet has the power to prevent AGL and other CSG companies from fracking under our homes, on our best farmland or near drinking water catchments that sustain us. It's up to us to let them know we won't stand for the lies and the risk to our most valuable assetts. Not now, not ever.

Will you take 5 minutes to email your local Liberal and National MP, and ask them to pressure Barry O'Farrell to prevent gasfields in our suburbs and most important agricultural and environmental areas?

http://
www.getup.org.au/broken-promises

We know AGL owns dozens of CSG wells between Liverpool and Campbelltown, areas that are home to tens of thousands of Australian families. These communities are now no longer protected from a risky form of drilling for coal seam gas that may cause gas leaks, water pollution, damage aquifers and pollute water with its mix of potentially toxic chemicals. Nowhere is protected, despite the promises.

In his ‘Contract with NSW" before the election Barry O'Farrell said that if he didn"t deliver on his election promises he would be ‘happy to resign". Yet, through the Strategic Regional Land Use Plans, he's allowed CSG mining to occur in our precious agricultural and drinking water catchment areas despite promises to the contrary.4 Some of these pristine sources of drinking water carry fines of $11,000 if someone even walks through them but the O'Farrell government has approved mines in these very same areas. Now he's about to let the industry get away with what is widely considered the most risky drilling technique for human health in a parts of NSW where there are homes, schools and hospitals.

Don't let Premier O'Farrell backtrack on his promises. Tell your Liberal and National MP that you expect Cabinet to tell the Premier that CSG is not worth the risk: http://www.getup.org.au/broken-promises

The frightening truth is, we don't yet know enough about the potential health and environmental impacts of coal seam gas mining - particularly fracking - to move ahead at the speed with which we're currently accepting development proposals. We need to take the precautionary approach to this industry and protect our most at-risk places; urban areas, agricultural land, water catchments and high conservation value natural areas.

Let's stand together against the vested interests of coal seam gas companies and ask the O'Farrell government to stand up for our community - as he promised.

Thanks for fighting the good fight,
The GetUp team.

PS -- In what can only be viewed as a major win for the coal seam gas industry, the NSW government has replaced the entire board of the Sydney Catchment Authority. Who chairs the new board? Only the former director of two of Australia"s largest mining companies. Click here find out more and email your local MP to lobby Premier Barry O'Farrell to uphold his promise to prevent NSW's most important places and neighbourhoods being fracked: http://www.getup.org.au/broken-promises

* Fracking is a technique used to create fractures deep under ground. These fractures allow gas to travel more easily from the rock pores to the production well. In order to create fractures, a mixture of water, proppants and chemicals are pumped into the rock or coal formation at high pressure. This practice is highly controversial as gases can make their way to the surface endangering human health; aquifers can be irreparably damaged; and water sources contaminated.

1 Full CSG health check 'essential'. Sydney Morning Herald, January 18, 2013.
2 Sydney more likely to become a hot spot for fracking, says Chief Scientist. Sydney Morning Herald, January 17, 2013.
3 Andrew Moore interviews NSW Premier about a range of topics including coal seam gas. 2GB, Wednesday January 2, 2013.
4 Barry O'Farrell press conference, February 2009.



Question for DON PAGE, MP, NSW Minister for the North Coast and Minister for Local Government
(ask him if you see him at the Byron Community Centre forum on Sat)

If the majority of locals oppose csg in the current Lock the Gate survey, will he support the will of the people and get REVOKED the exploration licences held by Arrow Energyand the Aboriginal Land Council ???

Don Page is our representative. Make sure he knows how to represent US!


THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE

IS GREATER THAN THE PEOPLE IN POWER. (Egyptian tee shirt).


CHEERS
Deb


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More Information:
• http://www.csgfreenorthernrivers.org/
• http://coalseamgasnews.org/
• http://www.keerronggassquad.org/
• http://www.gasileaks.com/
• http://lockthegate.org.au/
• http://www.stoppilligacoalseamgas.com.au/
• http://www.scenicrim.qld.gov.au/coal-mining-and-coal-seam-gas
• http://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/coal-seam-gas-by-the-numbers/
• http://stop-csg-illawarra.org/
• http://www.ccag.org.au/
• http://bimblebox.org/
• http://ntn.org.au/
• http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=561260378#!/CsgFreeNorthernRivers
• http://www.youtube.com/user/csgfreenr/videos