The NSW
Government's release of its Strategic Land Use Policy does nothing to allay the
concerns of those worried about the long-term impacts of both coal seam gas and
coal mining.
Some
concerns which have already been identified about this complex policy are
listed below.
Firstly,
despite farmers' hopes of real protection being afforded to prime agricultural
land, no farming land has been quarantined from mining in areas already mapped
as Strategic Agricultural Land in the Upper Hunter and New England Northwest
regions. Mapping is still to be done elsewhere,
including the North Coast – but obviously the government has decided that no
farm land, however important for food production, will be quarantined from
mining anywhere in the state. The fact that licences have been renewed on the
North Coast before the area has been mapped suggests that the mapping is
mere window dressing.
Secondly,
the moratorium on fracking (hydraulic fracturing of rock to release gas) has
been dropped. The Government has
introduced a code of practice for this controversial activity but just how
effective this will be in preventing the introduction of toxic chemicals into
gas wells or in preventing damage to aquifers remains to be seen.
Thirdly,
the policy fails dismally to deal with the major issue of disposal of the large
volumes of wastewater (usually heavily polluted) produced as a result of CSG
mining. This water is usually contained
in evaporation ponds which may be effective in dry times but which can fail in
wet weather or when too much water is produced.
Overflows lead to pollution of surrounding land and streams and
vegetation death.
The
Government has renamed these evaporation ponds 'temporary holding ponds'. Just how temporary they will be is
questionable. We saw this same "temporary"
exercise in semantics and spin in relation to a wastewater pond outside Casino in
June. (The Government had banned
construction of CSG evaporation ponds in July 2011 but, despite this, construction
of a pond was permitted outside Casino some months ago. The Government claimed that this pond was a
"holding pond" approved by Richmond Valley Council. See CVCC Blog Post on CSG Protest near Casino )
Fourthly,
the policy gives no protection to important conservation lands. The biodiversity hotspot of the Pilliga(in
central NSW), which has already suffered from poor management practice by CSG
miners, continues to be in danger. Leard State Forest, another important area
which was mapped as tier one biodiversity land, is destined to be bulldozed
for an open cut coal mine.
Fifthly,
the release of the Strategic Land Use Policy has pre-empted the Governments' response
to the Report of the Legislative Council Inquiry into Coal Seam Gas. The Report
tabled on 1st May contained 35 recommendations for Government action.
The Government's response is due on 1st November. See NSW Parliament Coal Seam Gas Inquiry website
The
reaction to the announcement of the Government's policy from a range of
community interests has shown, yet again, how out of touch this Government is with
the community it is supposed to be representing.
The
strength of opposition to coal seam gas mining in parts of the NSW North Coast
was clearly demonstrated in a referendum conducted earlier this month during
local council elections in the Lismore Local Government Area (LGA). 87% opposed CSG mining in the Lismore LGA.
It is
unlikely that the community will accept Planning Minister Brad Hazzard's claim that the government has the "right
balance to protect agricultural land, water and the environment."
Obviously the Government's spin doctors will
have a busy time trying to convince the community that it has not been
seriously "dudded" in the interests of the miners.
