The Office of Coal Seam Gas has withdrawn permission for Metgasco to drill a tight-sands gas well at Bentley and the police operation to force the company’s access to the site, due next week, has been cancelled.
The trigger appears to be that the application by the junior minor was flawed, characterising the well as a ‘conventional well’ when it is in fact unconventional gas the company was planning to explore for.
It follows an announcement this morning that The Lock the Gate Alliance and Gas Field Free Northern Rivers were today set to release documents alleging that the gas company does not have a proper permit to drill.
Mr Roberts said the Office of Coal Seam Gas (OCSG) has informed Metgasco of the suspension on the grounds that it did not fulfil a condition of its exploration licence, namely to undertake genuine and effective consultation with the community as required.
He would not be drawn on how long the licence would be suspended or whether it would ultimately be cancelled, referring the issue to to the OSG.
Mr Roberts also announced that he has written to the Commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption following receipt of information concerning shareholdings and interests in Metgasco Limited.
In a statement released this morning Mr Roberts said ‘OCSG is conducting an ongoing audit of all Petroleum Exploration Licences across NSW and is focused on ensuring company compliance with title conditions.
‘I have been advised by OCSG that fundamental concerns have been expressed by members of the affected community about the way in which Metgasco has characterised its activities.
‘On 13 May 2014 the Director of OCSG and the NSW Land and Water Commissioner held a meeting with local landholders, at which matters of consultation between the community and Metgasco were raised.
‘The Director of OCSG has now suspended the approval to construct the Rosella E01 gas exploration well.’
Mr Roberts pointed out that this suspension refers to Petroleum Exploration Licence 16 (PEL 16) which covers the Bentley site near Lismore and was originally granted by the Carr Labor Government in 1996.
‘Metgasco must now demonstrate to OCSG that it has complied with this fundamental condition of its licence,’ he said.
Mr Roberts also announced that ‘in accordance with Section 11 of the Independent Commission Against Corruption Act, I have referred this to the Commissioner to ensure that any decisions pertaining to PEL 16 have been made entirely properly and without any undue interest or influence.’
He declined to be drawn further on the matter, saying it was inappropriate given it was now before the commission.
He said on ABC radio this morning the gas industry had ‘done itself no favours’ with respect to its level of communication and community consultation and added the suspension gave all concerned the opportunity to ‘take a chill pill [and] settle down’.
Up to 800 police were expected to descend on the site early next week to force the removal of ‘lock-on’ devices and escort a massive drill rig against the wishes of the vast majority of local residents.
Police were set to make an announcement on the operation this morning but it has now been cancelled in the wake of the announcement.
Lock the Gate said it was too early to determine whether the protectors camp on adjacent land in Bungabee Road, Bentley, would now be disbanded.
‘We need to read the fine print first, said spokesperson Ian Gaillard, on ABC radio this morning, adding that the licence had ‘only been suspended at this stage, not revoked’.
‘It’s time for people to celebrate their hard work. Thousands and thousands of people hours have been put into this and angst that people have been put through,’ he added.
‘The language is moving to adaptive management, which is what the industry does, in seeing how they can get this through.
‘It’s required a great effort. We’ve had to come out here and camp for long periods of time, just to get our voices heard – and faced with the threat of all these police.’
He put the responsibility for misinformation clearly at the feet of Metgasco, saying they had made out their unconventional gas operation had been misrepresented as conventional gas.
Fellow Lock the Gate spokesperson Carmel Flint was euphoric at the news, which followed a meeting between Bentley landowners and Land and Water Commissioner Jock Laurie on Tuesday.
At that meeting landholders handed in letters before walking out saying they were not being listened to. Read our full report here.
Farmers’ role
‘Characterisation of the well as a conventional well meant the permit was inappropriate for a tight-gas well,’ Ms Flint told Echonetdaily this morning.
‘The farmers made it very clear they didn’t want it and the community didn’t want it. It was very clear it wasn’t just one or two people disaffected.
Ms Flint said the reality was just sinking in and described the win as ‘pretty amazing.’
‘It gives everyone a lot of hope. Great that if they know they stand together they can protect their land and water against this sort of industry.
‘I think there’ll be a massive party at Bentley this weekend,’ she said.
Lismore mayor Jenny Dowell, who has been consistently critical of Metgasco’s plans said she was ‘overjoyed’ at the news but added ‘we’ve got other mining companies in the region with licences’ and this was only ‘one well among potentially thousands’.
Social licence critical
The Greens mining spokesperson, Jeremy Buckingham has welcomed the news, saying that it was a huge win for the people power and the community and a clear demonstration that a social licence is both real and necessary.
‘This is a fantastic win for the people of the northern rivers that have united in great spirit and determination to protect their land, water and community,’ Mr Buckingham said.
‘The Bentley blockade is a physical manifestation of the social licence and shows that a social licence is not only real, but necessary for an industry like coal seam gas to operate.
‘People across NSW consider coal seam gas as unsafe and unnecessary. From western Sydney, to the northern rivers, to Narrabri, to Gloucester, the community is saying no and that they are prepared to put their bodies on the line to stop this industry.
‘Metgasco have patently failed to win the support of the community and are finished. They should pack up and leave.
‘The Greens want a total ban on coal seam gas because it is unsafe, unnecessary and unwanted,’ he said.
Good outcome: Page
Retiring Nationals MP for Ballina, Don Page, who has been silent on the issue since the outset of opposition to the industry described the decision today as ‘a good outcome’.
‘Let’s wait and see how it plays out but I think, for the moment anyway, we’ve got a potential outcome and the risk of people being injured and the risk of police being involved in what would have been a very ugly situation moving forward has been averted.’
Page MP Kevin Hogan also welcomed the move.
‘I’ve continually said that CSG in Page is not appropriate. It has become a community issue not a political one, and I congratulate Mr Roberts for suspending Metgasco’s licence on the grounds that the company had not undertaken ‘genuine and effective consultation with the community,’ he said in a media release this morning.
Minister Roberts meanwhile made special mention of the representations made to him by Lismore Nats MP Thomas George on the issue.
This came as news to one Knitting Nanna, who rang ABC North Coast to comment.
‘We’ve been sitting outside Thomas’ office once a week every week for two years and not once during that time has he ever come out to speak to us,’ she said.
Recent stories tagged Bentley Blockade:
Mandy Nolans Soapbox: Knitting the Big Cardigan of resistance
Whenever anyone says, ‘There is nothing we can do,’ I think of the Knitting Nannas. I think of this powerful and politically potent group of older women who hold the frontline of so many impossible protests with a ball of yarn and a cheeky conversation, and not just an ironing board – an iron will! They stand in unity. They know there is work to be done. And they do it.
Freedom to protest needs to be protected as environmental activists targeted
The forests of the Northern Rivers were protected in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s by activism. The Terania Creek protest was a landmark environmental protest
Ten years gasfield free – what did it all mean?
Recently I’ve been wading through hundreds of hours of archival material from the successful struggle to keep the Northern Rivers gasfield free. The collective optimism and unity in the face of what seemed, at the time, like an unstoppable opponent, is inspiring.
The loneliness of the long distance activist
In Australia, it's not easy being green. There are no monuments to those who have risked their lives and liberty in the defence of Australia's unique and precious ecology.
Jeez… what incredible news… a lot of gobsmacked faces this morning… thanks Echo xxx
A true victory for “People Power” !!! … and a total indictment of our political representatives and bureaucrats !!!
A battle won, time for celebration, then on with the war.
Congratulations to all the happy campers at Bentley. Well done.
I am soooooooo proud of this community! And immensely grateful to the people who have devoted so much of their time and energy to this.
Great news to wake upto has made my day. A victory for the people and a big thank you to all the folks that have been part of this peaceful demonstration out at Bentley.
Fantastic community effort. A victory for the good guys. Thanks to all involved for protecting our precious natural resources.
Well done to all those out there.
But i fear the fight is just beginning.
Where do we go next?
I am crying with pride of this community, its alias and all who stood up peacefully!! Love you all!
The people united will never be defeated!
Euphoric, awesome, gobsmacked, overwhelmed – I felt all these things at 6.30am this morning. Thankfully democracy won the battle. Thanks to all our wonderfull people who have spent months fighting this insipid industry, who have fought with intelligence, ingenuity and dignity. A party this weekend at Bentley? INDEED!!
Hallelujah !
I can hardly believe it, it’s a glimmer of democracy, All CSG licenses should be now suspended until the ramifications can be assessed. Australia doesn’t need or want this destructive and corrupt industry.
It will be wonderful to see these maggots squirming at ICAC. I suppose its too much to expect these million ( billion ?) dollar criminals actually doing time in goal but we can dream.
wow! congrats to all involved! I assumed people power didn’t work after we couldn’t stop the Iraq war but I was wrong – well done!
The shadows are more defined as the light gets brighter – now lets deal with Abbott! 🙂
Well done to all of us: to the caring and responsible people, some who stayed for three months, the Elders, the simmos, the gate people, the info people, the cooks, the dish wash teams, the vigillers, the toilet cleaners, the musos, all the people who volunteered and supported our valuable clean land, water and air in so many additional ways. Thanks.
Now I can unpack the tent from the back of the car, take a breather and do some things around my own garden!
Just so grateful to those hardy and determined people who have fought the good fight and keep on going – more power to you, you have inspired – the ground is now firmer beneath our feet.
what an amazing community we have- passionate and committed people from all walks of life united to protect the natural assets and social capital that are in effect our sovereign wealth for future generations. Government and the mining industry would do well to understand the concept of social license that Jeremy Buckingham articulates is real and valid.
our region’s existing industries – tourism, food production, arts and creative- are our strengths and take their lead from the natural landscapes that support them. these industries are our future – not short term fossil fuel extraction with no value added component – well done people of the Northern Rivers
So the community consultation wasn’t done right and that’s buggered everything up. Wouldn’t like to be that community relations bloke. I’ll bet his/her boss will have a few choice words. Now, who was that again?
Thank you! To everyone who showed up at Bentley; to those who have manned the gàtes, the info tent, the welcome tent, to the cooks and to those who washed up, to those who cleaned toilets and emptied them. To the composters and the ditch diggers. Thank you to the Simmos and buddies putting in the long hours, to the lookouts both near and far. To those who coordinated rosters and sent out the alerts. Thank you to everyone who wrote a letter, sent an email, made a phonecall, and tweeted. Thank you to those who travelled, both to Bentley, and from Bentley to the city. Thank you to those I haven’t mentioned! There are so many. Thank you to our wonderful community. Now we know we can do it we are unstoppable. We know that all those actions together tipped the balance, and we all played our part. THANKYOU
A win for the anti-fossil fuel lobby dressed up as concern for landowners and farmers. So what does everyone do now? Pack up their tents and their gas BBQs and get in their cars and drive home I bet. Electricity lines running into this area of NSW should be shut down. Fuel deliveries of diesel and unleaded petrol should be stopped. At least vegetarians aren’t hypocrites like these people – vegetarians stop eating meat. Hypocrites. That’s all these people are.
Peter, interesting that your negative comment is only 1 out of 23 at the time of reading. If indeed this is the “anti-fossil fuel lobby”, one would expect it would take time to transition from these old practises to a more sustainable future, so the ‘punishment’ of no electricity or vehicle fuel would be a little premature, and sounds a little childish, or perhaps bullying.
Jedda above poses the correct questions. Some of the answers are: Get rid of Thomas George or his replacement at the upcoming state election. Find a decent INDEPENDENT candidate to take the seat. Hold future MLA’s to account on the fundamental platforms of Integrity, Intelligence & Independence. Use the current tsunami of community support & awareness to bring about these solutions.
And the good news is that there are people already working on this strategy: for this is the real battlefield on which Democracy will be won or lost.
SUPER, BRILLIANT SUPERB, WELL DONE BRAVE SOULS, CELEBRATE YOUR GREAT VICTORY!
Awesome news, let’s keep on guard and make sure the license is revoked. A moment to celebrate a monumental step in the ongoing campaign towards a renewable energy future.
Congrats to the protctors , and shame on those local reps who stayed silent .
You not be forgotten.
Interesting how Metagasco suspended share trading , immediately, are they expecting a fire sale I wonder? If you kept your shares in metagasco as so many did . Oops , you lose. spose you can get up early Monday morning and watch the little worm dive , good riddance to you.
Minor skirmish won.
Be aware that these companies will be back.
Armed with lawyers and politicians in their back pockets.
The Fight Continues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Well done to the protestors, may the next battle also go as well, good on you.
GREAT NEWS!!!!!!
Coal Seam gas is not doing Australia any favour —- it is only making those large companies richer at the expense of ALL AUSTRALIA.. NSW should wait and see the Qld.. outcome & consequences.
KEEP ON Guard!!!