NSW GOVERNMENT BUYS BACK TWO SMALL PETROLUEM LICENCES

The NSW Government's Minister for Energy and Resources, Anthony Roberts, announced on March 10 that the government had bought back two Petroleum Exploration Licences (PELs) in the Clarence Valley. 

The fact that Roberts travelled to Grafton to make the announcement alongside Chris Gulaptis, the local National Party Member for Clarence, is significant.  It suggests that the Nationals and their Liberal Party coalition partners have concerns about the widespread opposition to gas mining in the Northern Rivers - and the impact this could have on the result in the March 28 State Election.

The announcement is another Government attempt to defuse the concern about gas mining in the region.  It follows the Government's release of their Gas Plan late last year and an advertising campaign early this year  in local media claiming the Plan addresses community concerns about gas mining.

The NSW Gas Plan was developed in response to the report (Final Report of the Independent Review of Coal Seam Gas Activities in NSW ) by the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer following her inquiry into gas mining in the state.  Neither the Plan nor the advertising campaign have been successful in allaying community concerns. Opponents to gas mining in the region have pointed out that the Plan has not addressed all of the recommendations made by the Chief Scientist and there is considerable uncertainty about when, if ever, these will all be addressed.

While Member for Clarence, Chris Gulaptis, claimed that the buyback shows the Gas Plan is working, opponents see it as a political stunt.  Gasfield Free Northern Rivers Coordinator Elly Bird  said, "This is a cynical and tokenistic attempt by the  Liberal-National government to look like they are doing something on this issue when they could have acted decisively long ago by refusing to renew the Metgasco and Igas licences that were quietly renewed despite repeated calls from rhe community for their cancellation."

FIFTY YEARS AGO

Last month marked the anniversary of the day a President of the United States first warned Congress of the with the words: “This generation has altered the composition of the atmosphere on a global scale through radioactive materials and a steady increase in carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels”.

No it wasn't Bill Clinton, it certainly was not President Obama; it was in fact Lyndon B. Johnson, and last month marks the 50^th anniversary of the day the US Congress was warned about the environmental dangers of atmospheric pollution, which followed advice from pioneering climate scientist, Roger Revelle, who warned of global warming and sea-level rise.

A year later Revelle chaired a subcommittee of the President's Science Advisory Committee, which produced a report claiming that: “Man is unwittingly conducting a vast geophysical experiment”, estimating that atmospheric carbon dioxide levels would rise by between 14 and 30 percent by the year 2000. In fact CO2 levels rose by 15.5%.

It would be great to think that the US took note of that warning, and those of climate scientists of the day, but it did not. In fact there has been 50 years of virtual inaction on Climate Change in the US, despite its being one of the countries worst hit by it.

The current President has tried to act, but has been thwarted by his right-wing opponents, and he too has issued an emphatic warning pointing out that: “We are the first generation to feel the effects of climate change, and we are the last generation that can do anything about it”.

The Australian situation is even worse, with a Prime Minister who is on the record as claiming climate change science is “crap”, and has done everything in his power to close down government climate change initiatives. As a result, growth in the renewable energy sector has stalled, and vast coal mines, and coal seam gas projects are being brought on line by like-minded conservative State governments across the country.

Remember, we are the last generation that can do anything about climate change. We owe it to future generations to act decisively NOW.

- John Edwards

OUR NEWEST NATIONAL PARK : Seminar in Grafton, March 4

Everlasting Swamp National Park

Presented by Dean Egan, NPWS

Wednesday 4 March @ 12 noon

Environment Protection Authority, Level 2, Grafton Government Office Block

Have you heard? The newest of NSW’s national parks is on Grafton’s doorstep: Everlasting Swamp National Park was gazetted in November 2014. 

Located near Lawrence, this freshwater meadow backswamp is a hive of activity for brolgas, black-necked storks, black swans and a vast array of wader species.

The site’s hydrology was modified during its interesting history of vegetable and tea tree cropping, and cattle production. It requires an extensive wetland restoration project to allow the previous moniker of ‘The Kakadu of the South’ to be fully realised.

Learn more about the site’s values and challenges, and get a rare fly-over glimpse of the potential of this local wetland.

These seminars are hosted by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, part of the Office of Environment and Heritage. They are free and open to anyone within the community who has a passion for learning about the environment, and for discovering and critically discussing policy work or research relevant to the Clarence Valley. You can bring your lunch.