Lynette Eggins, a Clarence Valley resident, emailed the letter below to Tony Abbott, the Australian Prime Minister on 5 November.
Dear Prime Minister Abbott
I was pleased to hear that you have taken the time
to meet with Debbie Orr from Tara in Queensland concerning the impact the gas
mining invasion in Queensland has had on her family and community. It is with
disgust and disbelief that we read and hear about the treatment of our fellow Australians.
As I'm sure you are aware, gas mining companies
propose to invade the Northern Rivers of NSW, an area of scenic beauty and farm
land, an area that we live in for the peace, tranquility and natural richness
it has to offer to all Australians and overseas visitors.
It is unacceptable to us that we become like Ms Orr
and the many other similarly affected residents of Queensland. The Northern
Rivers is very densely populated, unlike much of the gasfield areas of our
northern neighbour state. If the industry goes ahead, how does your government propose
to deal with the health and environmental impacts of such an invasive industry
on our close communities?
The introduction of the 2km exclusion zone is quite
frankly ludicrous. How can it be that some residents of our country are being
offered protection and yet others will become collateral damage? How can the
Government openly discriminate against its own constituents?
I am sure government bureaucrats have no idea of
the impacts such an industry would have on the Northern Rivers. For example: we often have severe rain events. This alone
is enough to create an environmental disaster. With the massive maze of creeks
and river systems running off the mountains the majority of the country is
underwater at these times. What will happen with the chemicals, waste water and
drilling fluids when it flows away with the flood water? Will we at other
times, have the waste water sprayed on our roads and crops and injected into
our water supply and rivers as is happening in Queensland?
The largest industry we have is tourism - who wants
to come and look at gasfields? Can you imagine the impact such a toxic industry
will have on tourism and our many sustainable industries such as the fisheries and
farming?
Metgasco, one of the gas mining companies with a
PEL over our area, has breached safety and environmental regulations numerous
times, and they are only in the exploration stage. How can they possibly manage
a gas field safely ?
We do not want to live in an industrialised
landscape; we do not need the gas and the government knows it (there is enough
gas in Bass Strait to serve Australia for millennia - BHP have stated this)
We are an educated population; we have done our
research; we know the majority of the gas is for export and we know the long
term toxic affects of the gas industry. Please don't treat us as fools.
We have been surveying our residents door to door,
neighbour to neighbour, and an overwhelming majority of people do not want to live
in gasfields. It is time for the Government to listen to its people – mining companies
have no social licence to operate in the Northern Rivers, or elsewhere in NSW
for that matter.
The people of the Northern Rivers will not sit back
quietly and watch our land, water, health and sustainable industries be
impacted by this invasive toxic industry.
Mr Abbott, will you be remembered as the Prime
Minister who listened to and stood up for his people? Or the Prime Minister who
allowed mining companies and government bureaucracy to force a toxic invasive
industry on his constituents? The power is in your hands Mr Abbott.
I would be pleased if you would supply answers to
my questions at your earliest possible convenience.
Yours sincerely
Lynette Eggins, mother, grandmother, business woman
and resident of Australia, the lucky country - or is it?
