Protesters at the Pilliga are continuing to attract attention, with police called to the Santos drilling site over the weekend.
About 90 people showed up to protest against the mining giant.
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Protesters at the Pilliga are continuing to attract attention, with police called to the Santos drilling site over the weekend.
About 90 people showed up to protest against the mining giant.
Thank you NBN for putting this story together. I would like to make a few points relating to your story.
The farmers are not camped at Ten Mile Dam camp in the Pilliga but take precious time off the farm at a very busy tome of year and drive for hours from all over the vast region. They came from Narrabri, Wee Waa, Coonamble, Bundella, Gilgandra, Coonabrabran, Belatta, Walgett, Moree and Tamworth. They are all terribly worried about the water impacts and had never done anything like this before.
People also came to support them on the weekend from as far as Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Kyogle, the Illawarra, the Hunter, Mudgee, the Central Coast.
Some, like Dayne Pratzky, knew first hand how horrific is life near a full blown gas field and gas hub, and came to share what he’d learnt in dealing with such a company and typical operations.
The State Forest implementing a restriction zone ring around the wider operations area (after our the previous Tuesday’s action) makes it more difficult to observe their actions.
Experience has shown that community policing is the only way to keep Santos honest, as they failed to report spills at Bibblewindi Treatment Works and only due to diligent locals was it picked up and reported. Santos pleaded guilty in the Land and Environment Court and their case will come before the court again on the 18th and 19th December at L&E Court in Sydney. Upon inspection last Saturday we recorded additional breaches and will be reporting them.
Santos are going full steam ahead here under the guise of a pilot project; they are already clearing forest for pipelines and pushing through creekbeds and that infrastructure will remain in place when they move to full production.
Please help save the Pilliga by putting in your objections by 9th December. A summary has been done by Lock the Gate: http://www.lockthegate.org.au/have_your_say_protecting_pilliga
The destruction of the Piliga State Forest again brings to our attention, the question of “what is prime agricultural land?”
While the area may look dry, sandy and unproductive, the truth is, the Piliga is one of, if not the largest producing areas of honey in NSW.
We also know the Piliga is vital to the G.A.B. which supplies the necessary water to farm inland NSW.
How can it be a shock to Government, that farmers how come out in force to protect this region which is so vital to the farming interests in western and central NSW?
Disgusting that the National Party isn’t standing behind the people they supposedly support.