KEY land will be permanently protected from mining and extraction activities under the Labor Government’s 10-point coal and coal seam gas plan announced this week.
Stakeholders including farmers, Thoroughbred breeders and lobby groups welcomed elements of the policy saying there were several long-overdue initiatives – but NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally, has provoked the ire of some by downplaying prime agricultural land.
In a statement released by the Premier, “prime productive agricultural land” was listed after “valuable industries such as the Hunter wine industry and the Thoroughbred industry”.
NSW Farmers Association president, Charles Armstrong, was quick to slam Labor’s plan, saying it showed little regard for protecting critical agricultural and water resources and did little toward achieving balance between major land uses.
He said the 10-point plan would facilitate a successful coal seam gas (CSG) industry, without any place for the future of food production.
Commitments to initiatives such as exclusion zones, a coal and gas Ombudsman and audit of gas wells and drill sites were more than a decade too late and would not give farmers confidence.
Mr Armstrong said the government had missed opportunities to consult with stakeholders, in stark contrast to the Opposition.
NSW Minerals Council chief executive, Nikki Williams, said voters should be wary of “an election-driven auction of the future of the industry”.
“We are deeply concerned about the proposal to introduce exclusion zones,” she said.
“Decisions must be scientific and evidence-based.”
Caroona Coal Action Group CSG spokeswoman, Rosemary Nankivell, Womboyne, said hydraulic fracturing, or “fraccing”, should be banned - not just BTEX chemicals.
She said Arkansaw in the US banned fraccing on March 3 and New York recently introduced a CSG moratorium.
Mrs Nankivell also questioned how the policies would be implemented, and argued pipelines on travelling stock routes was not ideal.
She also took issue with government assertions the coal industry employed 19,000 people and pointed out agriculture employed 315,000.
“On another note, as a landholder, I object most strongly to paying my LHPA rates to cover TSRs only to find Eastern Star Gas and Santos are drilling exploration holes on them,” she added.
Thoroughbred Breeders of the Hunter Valley spokeswoman, Hellen Georgopoulos, said it was encouraging the government finally recognised the threat posed by mining to the future viability of the industry.
“We also seek the assurances of both parties they will not make decisions on new exploration or mining licences surrounding Thoroughbred breeding operations until these exclusion zones have been introduced,” Ms Georgopoulos said.
The Land requested an interview regarding the newly-released policy with NSW Planning Minister, Tony Kelly, but was told questions would only be answered by email.
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