POLLIE WATCH 2012
We asked the members of Toowoomba Regional Council this question:
What is your position regarding coal mining and CSG extraction in the TRC area?
The responses received are listed in full below
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Mayor Paul Antonio
'I am concerned about the destruction of productivity from mining on our good agricultural land.
With CSG I have real concerns regarding the impact on aquifers and the disposal of the salt. The very presence of a CSG operation on highly developed land will mean production as we know it will be severely curtailed.
We must take into account that both these industries are short term and will leave a negative legacy well into the future.
The long term future of the TRC agricultural land is for food production and any development of mining or coal seam gas must be measured by the impact it will have on that.'
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Cr Bill Cahill
'As you would be aware, local government representatives are not always included in processes or development approvals which are determined at a state or commonwealth level. Local councillors have no formal jurisdiction over the approval processes relating to the issues of concern which you have raised. However it my undertaking as an elected representative of the community to continue to advocate a position, in all cases, of opposing proposed development that is in any way detrimental to the best interests of the citizens of our community. This includes unequivocal support for a moratorium on approvals for resource development located on strategic and prime cropping land and also that which is proposed within an acceptable proximity to urban development. Personally I have some serious concerns about the entire extraction process surrounding CSG and believe that many of the questions raised by groups such as yourselves remain unanswered at this stage.'
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Cr Sue Englart
'Early explorers and settlers recognized the Darling Downs as some of the most fertile land ever seen. Their findings have proved correct. Large amounts of primary food products are produced in the TRC electorate. One has only to travel as far west as Acland to see the devastation caused by coal mining on farming land. Rehabilitation is a joke. Coal is a dirty energy and CSG (as stated previously) is a gobbler of this 'dirty' energy.
It must be pointed out that today's society needs energy. No one is prepared to return to the early Nineteen Hundreds. New, clean, green energy technologies such as wind, sea, thermal and of course solar need to replace the dirty energy. Jobs lost would be replaced in these new industries. Governments must play their part in this change. As it stands, greedy companies and indeed greedy Governments will continue down the path of destruction and short-term dollar gains.'
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Cr Anne Glasheen
'There should be no coal mining and CSG extraction on Good Quality Ag Land or in close proximity to towns. There should be a buffer of at least 10 km around townships.
I am very concerned about the impacts of CSG extraction on our environment and the impact this is having on the lives of our farming community trying to get their message across.
The Govt stated a number of years ago that you could not subdivide Prime Ag Land for housing but they have no trouble with alienating it for mining. The TRC region is too closely populated for mining to co exist with agriculture and townships.'
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'The CSG issue is more difficult because the impact on water tables is so uncertain. However I can take you to places where it is working with little known effect on water tables is evident and both parties are working harmoniously.'
Cr Ros Scotney
'There is more & more evidence coming through re the effects of CSG especially in the USA. The impact on water quality, people & animals health is a great concern over there, especially the fracking practice. Our agricultural production could be greatly affected by ruined water quality. Again local government needs to be included in this critical debate.'
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Cr Nancy Sommerfield
'I believe there is a place for CSG extraction in areas which don't impact on our health or ability to sustain food supply. I personally have two key issues with CSG: - Recompense - remuneration to farmers and graziers should not be limited to compensation. Landholders impacted by mining should have the right to payment for drill sites in reasonable alignment with the profits from those drill sites and a minimum payment per site, irrelevant to profit.
- Water contamination - I have concerns for the protection of the Great Artesian Basin (GAB) and underground aquifers. I see the water issue as being of paramount importance - once contaminated you can't take it back. If the GAB was contaminated the flow on effect would be comparable to poisoning Wivenhoe dam.'
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Cr Carol Taylor
'I don't believe there should be any type of mining - CSG or otherwise- in populated areas or productive land in the TRC including areas identified for future development of infrastructure to support projected growth in the TRC area.'
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