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Byron Shire
March 29, 2024

Lock the Gate slams CSG ‘betrayal’

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Protesters block the road to Santos's mine site in the Pilliga State Forest. Image from coalseamgasnews.org
Protesters block the road to Santos’s mine site in the Pilliga State Forest. Image from coalseamgasnews.org

The Lock the Gate Alliance has described the NSW government’s decision to sign a memorandum of understanding to designate the controversial Narrabri gas project in the Pilliga forest a ‘Strategic Energy Project’ as a deep betrayal of farmers and the bush that will intensify conflict in north-west NSW.

Lock the Gate national coordinator Phil Laird said, ‘Farmers in the north-west will be gutted by this move by the NSW government to fast-track Santos plans for a massive CSG field in our region, while we are facing a potentially crippling drought.

‘To have the NSW government back a project in this way before it has even been assessed for its impact on groundwater and the environment is not only irresponsible, it is a betrayal of farming and rural communities.

‘This deal was signed in secret, without any chance for the community to comment or have any input.

‘It is a perversion of our democracy, and another example of how political donations from coal seam gas companies are distorting proper processes in this country.

‘Already, farmers have been forced to take direct action to protect the groundwater that is the lifeblood of the north-west.

‘This move from the government is a clear signal that there will be no due process when it comes to coal seam gas in our region: we’re on our own, and we will have to keep fighting for our livelihoods and our country.’

Eight people have been arrested blockading Santos’s Narrabri exploration project in the Pilliga forest in the last ten days, including several farmers.


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9 COMMENTS

  1. Its a crying shame and an national embarrassment that our dear farmers are being arrested for simply defending their land, livelihoods and the clean water upon which we all depend. One day the truth about this industry will be revealed ….

    • In the post, down the bottom above the words ‘Comment on this story’ is a row of icons: you can ‘like’ it on Facebook, ‘tweet’ it on Twitter, or ‘publicly recommend it’ on Google+.
      If you want to email it to your friends, go to the top of the page and copy the web address (e.g. in this case it is https://www.echo.net.au/2014/02/lock-gate-slams-csg-betrayal/ ) and then open your email program, create a new email and paste the web address link into your email, and send it to whoever you want.

    • Perhaps you can visit the Lock the Gate website and look at their press releases, and direct your friends to that site (and even offer LTG your membership $$$ to fight this nightmare). Or, maybe you can cut and paste the article? I’m sure Echonet has copyright, but I’m guessing that united we stand, so there may be some leniency on that one.

      Really, though, google Lock the Gate and share that site with everyone!

  2. Has this government forgotten who it is meant to represent? Inherent in their acceptance of the position of representatives of the people there is a Duty of Care for those same people. How does disempowering, bankrupting, creating illness, and vandalising the environment we all rely upon for our wellbeing qualify as Duty of care. They are not doing their job = they should not have a job!

  3. The definition of politics…….

    Poli means Many & Tics are Blood Sucking parasites!

    They don’t care about anything else except for their pathetic physcopathic egos!

    Let’s all unite & form our own government & call it Family Youth Community & the Environment for the sake of every living thing & the Planet!

  4. Great comments. I urge people to join their preferred political party! Be it Labor, Liberal, National, Greens, Palmer United etc. If the local community dominates the parties then it can control pre-selections and commitees.
    Get Up has over 600,000 members but no political representation. In contrast the Liberal Party inc QLD LNP) has 40-50,000 members. The ALP less than 40,000. The Greens 9,500 and the National Party in the tens of thousands (apparently it’s a secret – just like their deals with CSG companies).
    So at any time, there are less than 100,000 people controlling Australia’s laws including environmental and mining laws.
    Protest by all means – but get involved on the inside too. I have recently joined one of the above parties and look forward to having my say.

  5. Thanks to all the people at the Pilliga. I’ve been camping there and what a beautiful place. I also so the toxic holding pond, dead frogs in contaminated water and dead trees around all the mining sites. We are in a drought and the government gives the go ahead for an industry that uses a vast amount of water that will be taken from the farmers, pollute it, fragment NSW’s largest intact inland forest and then leave the communities with the mess to clean up. Time we cleaned up government and kicked them out. We’ll have to keep protecting our natural resources till we can dump these people who seem to only be caring for the needs of multinational companies and not Australians. March the March on March 16th and show your feelings about our government. Just look what the unconventional gas mining is doing in America. What a joke democracy has become.

  6. Loved your suggestion Eddy, we need to be on the inside if we are to make a difference.
    Google March in March to get time and dates in an area near you.
    The mining industry, both coal and CSG have highlighted all that is wrong in our political system.
    Sadly, our system of Gov has loop holes and the politicians have found everyone of them. They no longer serve the people, so forget about asking them to help the farmers, or protect communities etc, today, they serve another master..BIG BUSINESS.
    Only we can stop this, and we still can. Please support the blockades that are happening in your area.
    Teach the pollies, NO MEANS NO.

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