Thousands join stop CSG protests across NSW

[icyfroth]

Up to 3,000 people have donned yellow clothing in the New South Wales north coast town of Murwillumbah as they march in protest to coal seam gas mining.

They were joined by about 1,000 protesters in Sydney's inner-west, who formed a human sign spelling out "Stop CSG".

Murwillumbah rally spokeswoman Amanda Shoebridge says comments by the New South Wales Government this week that coal seam gas mining is inevitable failed to dampen the community's resolve.

"People will really, after news like that, dig their heels in and say well 'actually mate, no, no we're not going to allow CSG in here and you don't have social licence to do it, you don't have the approval of the community and it's not going to happen'," she said.

Stop CSG Sydney spokeswoman Jacinta Green says there is nothing to prevent miners exploring the Sydney basin, water catchments and prime agricultural land.

"Not one inch of New South Wales has been left off limits to the coal seam gas industry," she said.

Similar protests are set to be held across the country as part of a national week of action against the CSG industry.
Protesters are concerned state governments are not doing enough to protect the environment from coal seam gas mining.

Murwillumbah rally spokeswoman Amanda Shoebridge says comments by the New South Wales Government this week that coal seam gas mining is inevitable

Is it really?

"People will really, after news like that, dig their heels in and say well 'actually mate, no, no we're not going to allow CSG in here and you don't have social licence to do it, you don't have the approval of the community and it's not going to happen',"

Does the government give a rat's behind about community concerns, and does it even have the power to stop CSG exploration?

Or is it too busy quarrelling about sexism and misogyny!?

[donnashuggy]

Australians are doing ok

[twinkles**stars]

We are still apparently 40% richer than the average american, it has to do with the value of our dollar though.

....but they can buy a very nice home for under $100,000.00 which would cost us 5 times the amount.  Cars are cheaper as is eating out. No comparison really is there?

[donnashuggy]

Who should we compare with? We have strong economic growth which supports inflation. It is expensive here I agree but we are much better off than Americans.

[cueperkins]

We're much better off than a lot of other countries but it's not because we are doing better, they're just doing worse.

Australia has only survived because of our willingness to hand everything over to China...Our land, our resources, our businesses, whatever they want.  We're so generous aren't we?...we'll even go without as a nation to give away our mineral wealth for a sixpense, & subsidise a food bowl for another country to make a fortune....... but for some odd reason, nobody seems to think Australia should be developing its own 'Food Bowl' industry or mining & selling its own minerals & creating regional jobs and NATIONAL wealth.

Our Farmers are going out backwards, but we're not helping them...nup.  That would make too much sense.  Can't build damns for them to create a food bowl industry, just more BOHICA - Bend Over Here It Comes Again.

We have massive youth unemployment (particularly in rural regions), though nobody wants to admit to it,  The truth makes both sides look bad.

Meanwhile Regional Australian towns without mining resources to plunder, are going out backwards, with regional unemployment exceeding 10- 15% of Working Age Population in many regions.  e.g. Where I live we have 70,000 approx working age pop with more than 15% unemployed & approx 20-30 jobs per week.... (though as I said, nobody wants to admit to it).

Here's a plan....why not invest in those regional areas so they can become part of the worlds 'Food Bowl' Industry home grown in Australia by AUSTRALIANS.....rather than bending over backwards to make it China's food bowl.  What the hell has happened to this country?

We give away our resources, our ideas and even our talent & wonder why our infrastructure is crumbling and cost of living thru the roof.  It should be the cheapest place in the world given our mineral resources & modest population.  Go figure.  Clever Country?  Not any More.

[silverfaun]

We're much better off than a lot of other countries but it's not because we are doing better, they're just doing worse.

Australia has only survived because of our willingness to hand everything over to China...Our land, our resources, our businesses, whatever they want.  We're so generous aren't we?...we'll even go without as a nation to give away our mineral wealth for a sixpense, & subsidise a food bowl for another country to make a fortune....... but for some odd reason, nobody seems to think Australia should be developing its own 'Food Bowl' industry or mining & selling its own minerals & creating regional jobs and NATIONAL wealth.

Our Farmers are going out backwards, but we're not helping them...nup.  That would make too much sense.  Can't build damns for them to create a food bowl industry, just more BOHICA - Bend Over Here It Comes Again.

We have massive youth unemployment (particularly in rural regions), though nobody wants to admit to it,  The truth makes both sides look bad.

Meanwhile Regional Australian towns without mining resources to plunder, are going out backwards, with regional unemployment exceeding 10- 15% of Working Age Population in many regions.  e.g. Where I live we have 70,000 approx working age pop with more than 15% unemployed & approx 20-30 jobs per week.... (though as I said, nobody wants to admit to it).

Here's a plan....why not invest in those regional areas so they can become part of the worlds 'Food Bowl' Industry home grown in Australia by AUSTRALIANS.....rather than bending over backwards to make it China's food bowl.  What the hell has happened to this country?

We give away our resources, our ideas and even our talent & wonder why our infrastructure is crumbling and cost of living thru the roof.  It should be the cheapest place in the world given our mineral resources & modest population.  Go figure.  Clever Country?  Not any More.

.

Great post  & pertinent to the politic of today, the disappointment & anger out there is palpable.

[silverfaun]

Australians are doing ok

.

Smacks of, I'm OK bugger everyone else.

[cueperkins]

I don't think it was meant quite that literally. 

Donna's right in one sense, we are doing better generally than most, but that's just because the rest of the worlds economy has ground to a halt.  In a domestic sense however, there are people in this country (entire communities in fact - called RURAL towns) going out backwards.

The point is that Australia should be leaps and bounds ahead of where she is now, because we're actually rich enough to withstand a GFC in our own right.   We've just lost the will or the vision to build/develop it ourselves these days....or our leaders over 40 years obviously have

[monman12]

CP I suggest you research precedent (law) and the court decision that only struck out the Land Court proceedings apropos QGC which they can re-submit, that is not a precedent.

CP: "Some people in my region are doing just that against Council & State Govt trying to kick them off their land."  More details as nothing to do with CSG mining.

"Apparently, parties may have to fall back on an old law called 'Deed in Fee Simple'"

"Fee simple - the most common freehold estate granted by the crown. An estate in fee simple is the greatest estate in land, and is for practical purposes the equivalent to absolute ownership. Note, however, that in Australia, no person other than the crown can 'own' land absolutely. "

CSG mining has bee around in Australia for nearly 20 years and commercial production began in Queensland in 1996, so it is a well developed industry for Australia (with some 600 sites/wells). In fact 90 per cent of Queensland's domestic gas supply is already produced from CSG and around 18 per cent of all of Queensland's electricity comes from gas fired power

As for the USA, natural gaS wells there have been in existance  for over 1/2 a century, and currently the number of producing gas wells is:   514,637

I view topics like this with a cynical eye, as often they involve a few science and engineering disciplines which many of the "protesters" ignore, do not understand , or do not research, in fact I class it as the current cause célèbre.
Whatever happened to radiation from power lines?, mobile phones and their towers?, Optus overhead broadband cables?, Omega communication tower?

When the first cars were produced in  1865, "Britain’s government introduced the 'Locomotives on Highways Act' more widely known as the 'Red Flag Act'. This requires that all mechanically powered road vehicles must have three drivers, must be limited to 4 mph on the open road and 2 mph in town and, must be preceded by a man on foot waving a red flag, to warn the public."

Protesters assured those who would listen, that cows would be so alarmed when a car passed that they would stop producing milk!

[monman12]

"But the propaganda against them has been so convincing, credibility might be a problem."

That comment could well be applied to this topic, as it would appear that many do not appreciate that Queensland's natural gas industry is based upon coal seam gas, not shale gas.

[lakeland27]

katter says 87% of the revenue is going o'seas. allowing for inflated claims.. it still isn't worth the risk. perhaps lawd monkton should offer his considerable BS services to the CSG industry, and then we'd be able to rest easy knowing its harmless ;\