A few questions
Date: 14-Jun-08
Author: Peter Firminger
I have a few questions to ask of people with interests in the valley.
- Do you oppose the exploration for coal seam methane gas in Wollombi Valley by Sydney Gas?
- Should we be getting organised to oppose this? If so which of the community groups should lead it, or should it be a separate organisation?
- Should we be posting (weather-proof) signs around the valley similar to the action in the Broke Bulga area?
Members please comment below - non-members please email responses to gas@wollombi.nsw.au and we will post them on your behalf.
Comments (2)
Posted: 15-Jun-08 11:10 by Sean Gough Permalink
I am 100% opposed to any drilling for coal seam methane gas.
We should be organised as a separate group aligned with Hunter Bulga Gas Action Group (HBGAG). A meeting should be held as soon as possible to formalise this arrangement and discuss our plans. I understand that HBGAG have offered to help with information of their experiences with Sydney Gas to date.
Signs must be erected to advertise what's going on and information disseminated throughout the community by maildrop.
This is not just about Sydney Gas vandalising our Valley.
This is about our Governments' (plural) reluctance to divert investment away from carbon fuels into renewables; you may have read that NSW State Govt has so far invested $30m in exploration for methane gas and there is talk of stumping up a further $100m when this money and more should be put into establishing solar power generation to the grid as is the case in the USA. SOLAR = JOBS.
This is about the lax laws governing the area of minerals exploration. Our Council seems to have no control over these matters when at this time they want to make the area into an Environmental Management Zone and the particular area where Sydney Gas plan to drill into a Heritage Zone. Apparently NSW state laws governing licence to drill are tougher than those in QLD and the talk is that they want to relax the NSW laws. Why not bring this to the attention of the Federal Minister of the Environment & Heritage, who did once own land in Wollombi? It is outrageous that residents have to rely on their own resources to protect our environment and heritage from such abuse.
These are just some of my own opinions and I am sure we all have plenty to share, so let's get together very soon.
Peter, do you want to organise the meeting and then we can decide who is responsible for further organisation from there forward?
Posted: 16-Jun-08 20:24 by Jackie James Permalink
Peter,
Can a more permanent type of Group be set up, such as the Congewai group? Then meetings and strageies can be planned and the news passed on to members of the group that are very much interested but unable to attend all meetings. Due to distance, work, family etc, I can't attend all the meetings that I am interested in. Perhaps there could be a petition to sign at all the local stores. I too have made this area my home and hope to leave it only in a box, but a better place for my being here......... not with a gas rig up the back! thanks so much for the website. I find it extremely helpful.
regards,
Jackie James
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