We don’t want CSG: real stories from the people of NSW

While APPEA spends up big on an advertising campaign in an attempt to convince the public that coal seam gas (CSG) is wanted, I thought I’d share some of the stories I’ve come across of people from around the state that hold real concerns about what CSG will mean for them. These come from individual submissions to the ongoing NSW Parliamentary inquiry into the CSG industry.

You can read hundreds of the submissions online at the NSW Parliament website. Here are just a handful of people’s stories:

Leah Hobbs owns a property in the Lynchs Creek district. Metgasco’s proposed pipeline route is just 2km from her home. Leah is concerned because she says that she purchased her property to pass on to her children to run an organically certified farm. She ponders in her submission, “who is going to compensate me when I lose this when the gas line and inevitable wells are put in my place?” Read Leah’s full submission (pdf).

Lynchs Creek Valley, Border Ranges National Park. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Kevin and Maureen Markey live in the foothills of the Border Ranges National Park where they are involved grazing and have plans to construct eco-lodge accommodation for tourists visiting the National Park. When they purchased their property they were unaware of plans for CSG exploration and an associated pipeline in the area.

“The low density grazing model used in this area is totally sustainable from an ecological viewpoint but would be threatened should the inputs of soil and water be contaminated to any degree with the byproducts of the CSG industry,” they say.

Kevin and Maureen are also concerned about the impact nearby CSG operations could have on their eco tourism venture saying, “Eco tourists will not want to come to an area which has known contamination of petro chemicals and ugly pipelines running through a World Heritage listed National Park.” Read Kevin and Maureen’s full submission here (pdf).

Border Ranges National Park, NSW. Source: Michael Dawes.

Bruce Robertson is a beef cattle farmer from the Manning Valley. He is particularly concerned about AGL’s Gloucester CSG project and the potential for it to impact on water quality of the Manning River from which much of the water supply for his area comes. Read Bruce’s full submission here (pdf).

Manning River aerial. Source: Taree tourist guide.
Photograph by Lifestyle Profiles Photography Ph: 0418 277118

David Goulding is a winemaker in the Hunter Valley, he’s worryed about the impact aquifer contamination and gas emissions could have on his vines. Read David’s full submission here (pdf).

Hunter Valley vineyard. Source: Marj Kibby.

Robert Kornoll‘s handwritten submission says his input is prompted “by fear for my grandchildren, who are seventh generation Australians.” Read Robert’s full submission here (pdf).

Sasha London Welker is a certified organic farmer, “selling organic fruits and vegetables is our livelihood”, she says. Sasha is worried about her and her partner’s future. Read Sasha’s full submission here (pdf).

Richard Deem and his wife are retirees living on a property at Cougal, north of Kyogle. They are concerned about Metgasco’s Lions Way Pipeline proposal. Read their full submission here (pdf).

The Lions Road, Cougal, NSW. Source: Brian Yap.

Jennifer Tidey is a resident of Mudgee, in the state’s central west. She is concerned about CSG after having witnessed the impact of mining on the townships of Wollar and Ulan. Read Jennifer’s full submission here (pdf).

Mudgee from the air. Source: Stephan Ridgway.

Steve Higgs and his family live in the Merriwa, at the top of the Hunter Valley. Over a period of six years they planted 60,000 olive trees because, and 300km of water drippers to water the trees from an aquifer below the town. Steve says, “we wanted to help preserve our environment.” Now he says that the olive trees and Merriwa community is threatened by CSG. Read Steve’s full submission here (pdf).

Merriwa main street. Source: Kate.

Karen Dinsdale is from Darkes Forest and is worried about the CSG operations of Apex Energy and Ormil Energy. Karen says that there is one road in and out of her area, “this will now be taken over by the trucks bringing in the water fro drilling, a pipeline to take the gas out, we were advised possible 10 trucks a day.” Karen says, “leave the gas where it is…we would like a sage place to live and raise our families.” Read Karen’s full submission here (pdf).

Doug Cush says is a farmer at Bellata, his family also operates a durum mill and pasta making business in Tamworth. He employs 24 people, and says the products of his business are sold throughout Australia as well as to the export market. “Arguably our greatest asset is the rich earthy flavour of our pasta, the result of the unique soil we grow our durum wheat in,” he says. The local tourist information website brags that Doug’s pasta has won several awards and is exported to Italy. He is worried that CSG mining has the potential to impact the environment and put at risk his business and employees. Read Doug’s full submission here (pdf).

Silos in Bellata. Source: Visit Narrabri.

And that’s just a few of the stories, there are hundreds more. You can browse all of the publicly available submissions made to the NSW Parliamentary inquiry here.