Darren Coyne
Yet another northern rivers council will be writing to the NSW premier Mike Baird demanding a ban on gasfields in the region.
The Tweed Shire Council last night approved a motion from Greens councillor Katie Milne to send a letter to the premier and relevant ministers, despite opposition from three councillors.
The motion called for all Petroleum Exploration Licences that impinge on Tweed Shire to be revoked.
Cr Phil Youngblutt was not impressed.
He reckoned there was more chance of being eaten by a crocodile in the Tweed River, or seeing a grizzly bear crossing the road in Murwillumbah, than a mining company setting up in Tweed Shire.
‘There’s no gas here,’ he interjected repeatedly.
Cr Warren Polglase was also skeptical, saying that 70 per cent of attendees at a recent local government conference supported coal seam gas mining.
Mayor Barry Longland corrected him, saying that vote had been based on whether the federal government should take over the regulation of mining from the states.
Cr Armstrong said if Cr Youngblutt was correct and there was no gas in Tweed Shire then the companies holding the PELs should hand them back.
“Communities are now discovering that there is significant economic damage (resulting from the industry),’ he said.
Despite the opposition, Cr Milne’s motion was carried.
As a result, the mayor will also write to the Northern Rivers Regional Organisation of Councils (NOROC), Rous Water, Northern Rivers Tourism, Destination Tweed, Tweed Cane Growers Association, the Tweed Combined Rural industries, Tweed Shire Business Chambers and the Caldera Environment Centre to inform them of the resolution and to seek support.
The Tweed resolution follows similar moves from Ballina, Byron and Lismore councils, leaving Richmond Valley Council isolated in its support for the gas industry.
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