A petroleum-prospecting application covering hundreds of square kilometres in the Tweed and Brunswick Valleys has been lodged by a major energy company.

Macquarie Energy wants to assess the petroleum potential of the area via what it calls ‘desktop (computer) studies’. A spokesperson for the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) told The Echo that the special prospecting authority applied for with the NSW Department of Primary Industries allowed the holder to assess the petroleum potential of the area for 12 months.

A spokesperson for Apollo Gas, a wholly owned subsidiary of Macquarie Energy, said the ‘desktop’ studies involved assessing data obtained from previous surface and aerial surveys, and did not involve any drilling.

Recently, the Greens called on the government to protect the Gunnedah basin ‘food bowl’ from coal-seam gas exploration and extraction by the Santos company because of the threat it posed to the local environment.

The Greens private members bill to protect prime agricultural land from mining was defeated recently by just one vote in NSW Parliament when the government, the Shooters Party and Reverend Fred Nile united to vote against the bill.

Story by Luis Feliu.