Mullumbimby Community Action Network

Originally published 03Apr2013

mullum-zine

Great news - and - Senate submissions needed

Newsletter 120
3 April 2012

Greetings!

Great news! Dart Energy, who acquired the licence from Arrow and which covers half of Mullum and beyond, have decided to suspend CSG operations in NSW. Furthermore Metgasco also recently decided to suspend csg operations on North Coast. Thanks to the brave activists!!! (as well as armchair ones). The "no social licence" RULES OK!! However, we can't kip on our camphors yet, they just might sell out to the Chinese.

http://csgfreenorthernrivers.org/updatesandevents/media-releaseanother-one-bites-the-dust/

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-business/dart-energy-slashes-costs-amid-csg-changes-20130402-2h3wj.html


ABC FOUR CORNERS did a wonderful prog last Monday and can be seen on iView
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2013/04/01/3725150.htm



URGENT!!! LAST DAY!!

Please send a submission as per message below. Put it on a document first as there isn't a little box to write in.


Submissions to Senate Inquiry into the federal Government"s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment Bill 2013 [Provisions]

The Federal Government"s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment Bill 2013 to provide Federal oversight of the impacts of coal and coal seam gas mining on water resources has been referred to a Senate Inquiry.



Please take the time to make a submission to the Inquiry, supporting the passage of the Bill through the Senate as quickly as possible. Submissions close on the 4th April and can be made here.



Submission points:

1. The Bill is strongly supported and we would like to see it passed quickly through the Senate.

2. We are very pleased that the bilateral approval provisions of the EPBC Act cannot apply to coal and coal seam gas developments that impact on water resources, and that there have been some improvements to the exemptions.

3. We want to ensure that the exemptions contained in the Bill are minimised, and that key projects, such as the Arrow Coal Seam Gas project in Qld and Camden in western Sydney, are not exempt from it. Therefore, we would still like to see minor amendments to remove s22 2 b) and d) if possible.

4. We recognise that there are other amendments that would substantially improve the Bill, that may be required in the future, such as:

· Amending the Bill to cover all unconventional gas mining, including shale gas and tight gas, and unconventional coal mining

· Strengthening the role of the Independent Expert Scientific Committee

· Defining significant impacts on water resources

· Introducing a set of requirements for the Minister to consider when making decisions on water resource impacts

· Including a requirement for bioregional assessments prior to approval






CHRISTINE MILNE Leader of the Greens is coming to visit
Friday 5 April - 6 pm. Murwillumbah Community Centre, back of Knox Park.


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/