A closed door meeting between member for Lismore Thomas George, Coal Seam Gas stakeholders and the Executive Director of Mineral Resources, has angered anti-CSG campaigners, with about 30 gathering outside the meeting room at Lismore Workers Club this morning.
Protestors say they’re fed up with the lack of community consultation and not having their letters replied too.
(UPSOT)
” No coal seam gas, No coal seam gas”
While a few representatives from anti-coal seam gas groups were invited to the meeting, protestors say that’s not good enough.
“I think this represents – this locked door here, with people outside demanding to have answers – this represents exactly the sort of process that’s gone on. It’s exclusion of the public.”
But Mr George says the decision to keep the meeting closed was made by the anti-csg representatives themselves, who wanted the chance to properly express their views and concerns without interruption.
What the hell? The wider community have been requesting community consultation for months. AGL agents just dont want to hear what they have to say. Bottom line is that the industry has no Social Licence to operate. Either your representing the broader Community or your representing Metagasco.Your not misrepresenting public opinion behind closed doors i hope?
CSG Agents that is, not AGL (in this instance)
Remember these words “This is not a community consultation” … when Mr George and his Gas buddies from Metgasco and Arrow say that they have had “Community Consulttion”. Also we will be taking up the matter of Mr George saying that the Anti CSG protestors inside the “closed meeting” quote “made by the anti-csg representatives themselves, who wanted the chance to properly express their views and concerns without interruption.” with Mr George as this was not true. He asked if he could shut the door, if he had asked if those outside should be let into the meeting all would have agreed to let them in. There is also audio of what happened inside, and this will clearly state this. This was totally deceptiive, from the secretive meet at his office for wrist band to the second location to put off protesters. Pretending the issue is not there will NOT work. It will only inflame. Do you have shares Mr George in Metgasco, the company your son is now working for?? Are you working for them or the farmers?
This is video of MP Thomas George on arrival at the meeting, explaining why the meeting is closed to the concerned community. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UK5ttdBfaM
Once again the people call for a halt to Coal Seam Gas mining: “Our land ,our community, our choice’. We do not want our property values to decrease. We know no one will buy into a gas field. Air polluted with methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and associated endocrine-disrupting chemicals to make us sick. Water no longer sweet and potable. We don’t want the Northern Rivers farmlands to become industrialised. Gas wells 750 metres apart, 200 metres from our homes and 50 metres from our waterways. Joined by pipelines, roads and powerlines. Noise, trucks and strangers on our properties. So what if they pay compensation to gas farmers, no one pays the neighbours, and no one is left to fix problems left behind when the gas has all gone to China and the mining companies have left, 15 – 20 years into our kid’s futures. Not in our backyards, not in the Pilliga, not in any part of Australia. Never before have so many been so serious and determined. No coal seam gas, no shale gas, no tight sands gas. Too dangerous to unleash on us people.
Dear Thomas George, secretaries and community;
I have a set of personal values, including: non-violent dynamic action, I support democracy, open dialogue and respectful communication. I refuse to compromise my values by participating in a meeting where the rest of my community is disrespected. I refused to exclude my community in this meeting today, especially when mining company Metgasco CEO Peter Henderson and his bodyguard were present, and we were not informed that they would be present. The consultation process was secretive, offensive and undermining.
The growing crowd of upset people, clearly opposed to CSG were told to wait outside, that they were not invited in. YOU Thomas George opened the meeting with a comment about shutting the door on the protestors so that they could not be heard.
I stood up and said “I do not agree with the process that is being adopted here. That a mining company such as Metgasco in this community meeting was not community consultation, that YOU Thomas told us the community that this meeting about CSG was to be held in consultation with 2 key representatives from community groups, Brad from the mineral sector and yourself. The lack of transparency here is offensive, the mining company presence here today is disrespectful.”
As I gathered my things, YOU Thomas George attempted to explain away the Metgasco presence and Mayor Jenny Dowell acknowledged my right to leave, but respectfully requested that I stay, as a member of the community and knowing how opposed to CSG our community was , it was important for me to stay.”
I thanked Jenny for her words, and acknowledged how true that was. However, I refused to engage in dialogue set up in a disrespectful way.
At the end of the day, YOU Thomas George segregated a community. You systematically set out to create hype, from a secret, invite only ‘non public’ meeting all the while members of the community have been requesting for months to have a meeting with YOU in a public fashion.
And to top it all off, when I left the meeting, YOU Thomas George are recorded as making comments to the effect that my departure was related to my desire of front page newspaper attempts.
If you are aware of me being in the newspapers, then why did you not invite me as community representative to your meeting today?
In the last month alone, yes – I have had news coverage, as a representative of Rock Valley Gas Rangers and Nimbin Environment Centre. The articles are CSG related. Not Wanda related.
My research, approaches and information have been succinct and assisting the community to stay abreast of a CSG situation spiralling out of control.
When the Mayor of a council has no idea that seismic testing is happening on council managed lands – that’s a problem.
When the Mayor of a council has no idea that a member of her council is hosting secretive meetings – that is alarming.
When that member – YOU Thomas George then lies about the fact that other members of the community were not involved in the process of communication because “But Mr George says the decision to keep the meeting closed was made by the anti-csg representatives themselves, who wanted the chance to properly express their views and concerns without interruption” http://www.nbntv.com.au/index.php/2011/12/05/anti-csg-protesters-rally-outside-closed-meeting/
IS THIS TRUE REPRESENTATION OF OUR COMMUNITY WISHES ?
I dont think so.
What do YOU Thomas George have to say in response to this.
Rather then email me a response, please keep your diary handy, I am in consultation with the community to choose a suitable date in the new year where we can sit down in open dialogue to have a community forum.
Jenny Dowell hosted an excellent meeting in Nimbin in November 2011 where this process was adopted, and perhaps if you talk with the Mayor, you may be given some tips on how this process is productively managed.
In the meantime I request a copy of the minutes of todays meeting.
Please forward them to my email address by the end of the week.
Warm regards,
Wanda
You are our representative. You are not doing your job.
Mr George, you called your constituents disrespectful as you shuffled in today. Respect… That certainly is an interesting concept. There’s no need to retreat upon arrival, Mr George, to await your backup before venturing past us. The motley crew of aged farmers and concerned residents aren’t about to lash out at you with anything but their angst-driven tongues, Mr George. Please, just do us the decency of answering the question…”If this ‘isn’t a community consultation’, why isn’t it, and when will you see fit to proffer such a thing?” People have a right to know your views on the Fraccing/CSG issue.