Pat Miller, Byrrill Creek
NSW primary industries minister Katrina Hodgkinson congratulated member for Ballina Don Page’s representing his constituents to get ‘sensible’ amendments to the CSG industry regulations (Letters, Echonetdaily, February 22 2013).
It was shameless self promotion of a government chronically incapable of listening. National Party member Don Page has betrayed his constituents, not represented them.
These risible amendments do nothing:
• ‘Strengthening the role of the EPA’ will mean the board, business pedigrees leaning further to the right than the Costa Concordia, will be more effective in reassuring us of CSG’s safety.
• ‘The requirement for all exploration, assessment and production titles and activities to hold an Environment Protection Licence.’ Stringent. They’ll have to buy one. To share?
• ‘Appointment of the chief scientist and engineer to conduct an independent review of all CSG activities in NSW, including any potential impacts on water catchments.’ Independent? I’ll bet Mary O’Kane’s job will depend on not finding ‘potential impacts’.
• ‘A two kilometre exclusion zone to be imposed around residential zones to prevent CSG exploration, assessment and production’ completely ignores the fact that aquifers and groundwaters don’t understand where the 2km stops. The noise and disruption is huge. Just ask the Doubtful Creek neighbours. This farce could only have been hatched in Sydney. People live in other bits of NSW, Ms Hodgkinson.
• ‘Establishment of an Office of CSG Regulation within the Department of Trade and Investment.’ Another reassuring level of CSG advocacy. Competent environmental management is, under this government, buried under the morass of spin generated by mining and industry. The stonily silent Robyn Parker, minister for the environment, suffers from paralysing incompetence.
Investment in renewable energy is the only way to go. It’s not rocket science. If Don Page had truly represented his constituents he would have told Mr O’Farrell, Ms Hodgkinson and the NSW government most, by far, of his constituents agree on one tiny regulation that will make all this go away.
No CSG.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
