The future of a $300-million gas storage facility – the largest in the state – now rests with Julia Gillard.
The state government has assessed the controversial plan, which could impact on the Hunter’s water supply, and the region’s koala population.
text will be replaced
STATEMENT – HUNTER WATER
“As a stakeholder, Hunter Water reviewed the Environmental Assessment for the
proposed Newcastle Gas Storage Facility. Hunter Water proposed a number of
requirements to be included in the conditions of consent to safeguard against
potential risks to the Tomago aquifer.”
The risks of coal seam gas extraction on the Hunter Catchment, the Gloucester aquifers and Tomago Sandbeds are not understood and have not yet been assessed. Gas drilling and the extraction of massive quantities of water per well that is involved could cause permanent damage to these water supplies. The government is presumptively approving a gas storage facility when the potential gas supplied have not been shown to be safe to our water and environment. In addition these projects, including the plans for gas fields throughout the Hunter and the gas storage facility do not have local council or local community consent. Our rivers and groundwater supplies must be protected from gas mining.
There seems to be far to little information available on CSG extraction & storage for my liking. The lack of information available to the general public makes me wonder if there is either no information available because there has not been enough research done or, & more concerning, the information is there but not available to the public because it is considered “counter-productive” to massive mining profits for corporations & the government. Either way we need to know more before we should be forced to accept more mining in our region.