Responsible Mining Bill

The Green’s Responsible Mining Bill aims to empower councils to make the final decision about mining and gas development and to introduce no-go zones where mining, gas and other extractive industries will not be permitted including

Licence renewals, Strategic Land Use Policy released

Dart Energy's PEL 460 which covers the southern area of Putty has now been offered for renewal by the NSW Government along with many other expired petroleum exploration licences. The government has also quietly released the final version of the Strategic Land Use Policy.

Court interrupts Fullerton Cove drilling

Fullerton Cove NSW courtesy of Callum Rigby

A COURT has ordered Dart Energy to temporarily halt test drilling for coal seam gas (CSG) at Fullerton Cove, near Newcastle, but the energy firm says it may still be able to keep to its timetable. Fullerton Cove residents applied to the Land and Environment Court for a temporary injunction to stop drilling at the site as they prepare for a court battle in which they will try to have the project spiked altogether.

CSIRO rejects mining industry claims about CSG

Gas well at Camden

CSIRO rejects the claim made in a television commercial aired on Sunday 2 September that ‘CSIRO [and government studies] have shown that groundwater is safe with coal seam gas’.

At no time has CSIRO made such a statement, and nor do the results of CSIRO research support such a statement.

‘No water, it ain’t worth nothin’

Residents in Butler County, Pennsylvania share their fracking experience. Film shared courtesy of Nature Abounds' friend Rich Waters, a local photographer and videographer who is documenting how fracking is changing the lives of his neighbors in Southwest Pennsylvania. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcUyuFjx0IU&feature=share

Mining threat to Great Artesian Basin

The Great Artesian Basin and the Great Barrier Reef are called great for a reason. They are the largest of their kind in the world. Coal seam gas extraction has the potential to ruin both these Australian greats. 

The Great Artesian Basin (GAB), the country’s only permanent inland water, underlies a quarter of Australia, the driest inhabited continent on earth.

Public servants gagged

Putty Creek in flood February 2012

In late May I had a dream that I was in a library looking up something to do with coal seam gas and someone approached me to join a meeting. Over 60 people were at the meeting and they were all anti CSG campaigners who worked in the public service and had been told they would lose their jobs if they continued campaigning against it, or they were people without permanent Australian residency and were threatened with deportation.

Solar energy - it works for me

Recently, when a guest was reluctant to plug a new laptop into a power socket in our house, I realised just how little people understand solar energy. Yesterday, Harvey Norman announced that it had placed a substantial order for user-friendly solar panels to supply to customers in addition to kitchens, bathroom items, hot water and air conditioning systems.

Perhaps people’s perception of solar is about to change! 

Australia to lose environmental protection

The koala was recently listed as a nationally threatened species, but now the federal
government plans to hand its legal powers over to the states, placing the koala and its habitat
at risk. Koala and joey photo: WRD-073 © Dave Watts / Lochman Transparencies

Not content with putting pressure on the state government, big business and the mining industry have broadened their attack to our federal environment laws. Following intense industry lobbying, federal and state governments have recently announced an aggressive plan to wind back critical environmental protection laws that protect our land, water and wildlife.

Fullerton Cove Pilot Project Approved

The NSW Government has given Dart Energy approval to drill pilot coal seam gas wells north east of Newcastle. Local residents are concerned about contamination of nearby RAMSAR listed wetlands, the Hunter River estuary and the Tomaree Sands groundwater system which is a component of their water supply. This is compounded by the history of earthquakes and floods in the area.