Tag Archives: bentley

Back to Bentley, as Metgasco spits the dummy at NSW Government

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bignumbersbentley

MEDIA RELEASE - 1 September 2015

The Greens NSW mining spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham today slammed coal seam gas company Metgasco for suing the NSW Government and renewing drilling at Bentley near Lismore saying the company was belligerent and did not have a social licence to operate in the Northern Rivers.

“It’s outrageous and belligerent that this company would sue taxpayers for compensation and threaten to resume drilling when their social licence to operate in the Northern Rivers has so comprehensively been rejected,” said Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham.

“If Metgasco go back to Bentley, then the community will be there to meet them in large numbers and with determination to protect the land and water.

“It is not up to taxpayers to bailout this company who have comprehensively failed to gain a social licence to operate and they should not be trying to extort the NSW Government.

Where is the Member for Lismore Thomas George?  He promised to have the licence cancelled by 30 June 2015, yet here we have Metgasco forcing their way back to Bentley with an assurance of police protection given by the government.

“The government and Shooters Party recently voted down a Greens bill that would have banned coal seam gas in the Northern Rivers.  They’ve got no one but themselves to blame for this huge mess,” he said.

Member for Ballina Tamara Smith said, “Should that drill rig come anywhere near our beautiful Northern Rivers rest assured I will be standing on the frontline with the community at Bentley.”

The time for talk is over: Baird Government should cancel Metgasco’s licenses

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CSG Free Northern Rivers

MEDIA RELEASE - 2 July 2015

The Greens NSW coal seam gas spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham has today called on the Baird Government to suspend talks with Metgasco and support legislation which would allow the North Coast coal seam gas licenses to be cancelled in the public interest without compensation.

This comes as Metgasco confirmed to the stock market that they are in discussions with the NSW Government over “the future of [their] gas operations in the Northern Rivers”.

“This whole process of negotiations with Metgasco is a farce which is creating unnecessary uncertainty for the community and is a waste of taxpayers’ money,” said Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham.

“The government has the power to do what the community wants, and they can legislate to ensure that all of Metgasco’s licenses are cancelled without compensation.

“The time for talk is over.  The Liberals and Nationals need to stop wining and dining with gas lobbyists and tell Metgasco to pack their bags and leave the Northern Rivers.

“The risks to our land, water, climate and communities are too high to let this industry proceed and that is why the Greens are calling for a complete and permanent ban on coal seam gas,” Mr Buckingham said.

Contact: Jack Gough – 9230 2202 or 0427 713 101

 

Thomas George should resign after broken coal seam gas promise

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thomas george poo

MEDIA RELEASE - 30 June 2015

The Greens NSW coal seam gas spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham has today called on Nationals member for Lismore Thomas George to resign after breaking his promise to the North Coast community to buy back the North Coast coal seam gas licenses before the 30 June 2015.

“Thomas George has broken the trust of the people of Lismore and the North Coast by failing to keep his pre-election promise to buy back the North Coast coal seam gas licenses and should resign immediately,” said Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham.

“At the time the promise to buy-back the license was made, I said that it was simply Thomas George trying to con voters, one week out from an election, into believing he had a significant response to the widespread opposition to CSG in the region and sadly today this has been proved correct.

“This broken promise follows the shocking revelation that it was Thomas George who actually shut down debate on a proposal at the National Party conference to ban coal seam gas in the Northern Rivers,” Mr Buckingham said.

Former Greens candidate for Lismore Adam Guise said:

“The people of Lismore deserve better than broken promises and weasel words from their elected representative on such an important issue and it is time for Thomas George to step aside.

“The risks to our land, water, climate and communities are too high to let this industry proceed and that is why the Greens are calling for a complete and permanent ban on coal seam gas,” Mr Guise said.

Contact:

Jack Gough – 9230 2202 or 0427 713 101

Adam Guise – 0497 851 305

Greens’ bill to ban coal seam gas will provide certainty

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Jeremy Buckingham

MEDIA RELEASE - 30 April 2015

 

The Greens NSW mining spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham and Greens MP for Ballina, Tamara Smith today launched a new private members bill that will legislate to prohibit coal seam gas across NSW, saying it was time for NSW to act decisively and move past the fractious coal seam gas debate, ban the industry and move forward with clean renewable energy projects.

The Greens will introduce the Bill to the NSW Legislative Council on Tuesday 5 May as their first act in the new parliament.

  • The Bill amends the Petroleum (Onshore) Act 1991 by making it an offense to prospect for or mine coal seam gas and other unconventional gas in NSW.
  • The Bill does not directly cancel existing petroleum licenses, although it renders them useless, but it does give the Minister the ability to cancel licenses without compensation where it is in the public interest to do so. This is done by reinstating the public interest test which was introduced by the Government in 2013 but was subsequently repealed in 2014.

“There was a lot of rhetoric during the election campaign from all political persuasions, over which party would best protect land and water from coal seam gas.  This bill gives all parties the chance to stop coal seam gas in NSW,” said Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham.

“The Greens opposition to coal seam gas has been clear and we are acting immediately to put this position to the new Parliament.

“We know there is no gas shortage. We know that CSG pollutes the environment. We know it is widely opposed by voters. We know clean renewable energy is the way forward.  It’s time to ban this toxic industry and move on.

“The government has got itself into a policy and legal mess trying to placate community and environmental concerns on the one hand, but facilitate coal seam gas on the other.  It is time for the government to act decisively and protect land and water.”

Contact:  Max Phillips – 9230 2202 or 0419 444 916

Read the Bill Briefing note and the draft legislation.

Metgasco can’t win a social licence in the Supreme Court

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Bentley blockade

JEREMY BUCKINGHAM MLC & TAMARA SMITH MP

MEDIA RELEASE - 24 April 2015

The Greens have said that coal seam gas company Metgasco does not have a social licence to drill and should pack up and leave, and that the NSW Government should restore a broad public interest test in the state’s mining and gas laws, following a decision by the Supreme Court today to overturn the Government’s suspension drilling at Bentley, near Lismore in the Northern Rivers.

“You can’t win a social licence in the Supreme Court of NSW, and despite this technical legal victory, it is clear coal seam gas has been comprehensively rejected by the community in Northern NSW,” said Greens mining spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham.

“The government may have stuffed up the cancellation process, but the substantive issue that the community has rejected unconventional gas extraction in the Northern Rivers remains.

“The Greens will be introducing legislation to re-instate a broad public interest test so government has the power to protect communities from irresponsible mining and gas drilling.

Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith said, “Despite the court victory, Metgasco should heed the clear message from the community that they want a gas field free Northern Rivers.  Metgasco should pack up and leave. “If Metgasco try to drill again, the community will resist and I will be standing with them.

“The judgement in no way endorses Metgasco’s community consultation and the Judge goes to some effort to emphasis “it is no part of my function to assess the desirability of any of the activities of Metgasco, or the desirability of the suspension of any of those activities.”

“It’s clear from the decision today that the laws in NSW are not able to protect the land, water and communities on the Northern Rivers from the risks of coal seam gas development.”

Contact

Jeremy Buckingham: Max Phillips – 9230 2202 or 0419 444 916

Tamara Smith: Graeme Williams – 0402 438 833

Greens & community win on coal seam gas as Santos deadline passes

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Lock the Gate

MEDIA RELEASE - 23 January 2015

The Greens NSW mining spokesperson Jeremy today declared that the Greens, farmers and the community had won the debate over coal seam gas over the last four years saying the industry had been stopped in its tracks.  He cited Santos’ announcement yesterday that they would not proceed with the Narrabri coal seam gas project until the “back end of the decade”, as well as the expiry today of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the NSW Government and Santos to fast-track the Narrabri coal seam gas project.

In February 2014, the NSW Government signed an MOU with Santos declaring the Narrabri gas project a ‘Strategic Energy Project’. The MOU included a timeline in which Santos were due to lodge their Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on 30 June 2014, and the final planning determination was to be made today, 23 January 2015.  Santos have still not lodged their EIS and the final determination date has now passed.

“The Greens, farmers and the community have won the campaign against coal seam gas.  The community are informed and dead set against fracking, and the industry has either packed up and left NSW, or their projects are at standstill,” said Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham.

“When the Coalition took office in March 2011, coal seam gas was set to roll out in the suburbs of Sydney and Sydney’s drinking water catchment, across the Hunter Valley, at Gloucester, throughout the Liverpool Plains and up to Moree, as well as in the Northern Rivers, Mid-North Coast, Newcastle,  and Southern Highlands.

“After four years campaigning the industry is now banned in urban areas, has been crushed by strident community opposition in the Northern Rivers, and even the giant Narrabri project has fallen over.

“Driving around many regions of NSW, yellow ‘No Gas’ triangles, Lock the Gate signs and ‘No Coal Seam Gas’ bumper stickers are everywhere.  In the last four years, the community uprising against coal seam gas has become the biggest environmental and social movement seen in NSW for decades.

“Santos’ Narrabri gas project appears dead. The MOU has expired, Santos have slashed their capital expenditure by hundreds of millions, and the project is on hold as they desperately try to sell down their stake in the project.

“The issue of coal seam gas is sure to be a big factor for many voters at the coming election, and the Greens are very proud of our track record on this issue,” he said.

Working hard to oppose coal seam gas in NSW Parliament

In direct relation to coal seam gas in the last term of parliament, Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham has given:

  • 73 speeches
  • 68 Questions on Notice
  • 74 questions without Notice
  • 260 questions in budget estimates
  • 39 Notices of Motion
  • 3 calls for papers (production of documents)
  • 4 Bills into Parliament:
  • Coal Seam Gas Moratorium Bill 2011
  • Responsible Mining (Protect Land, Water & Communities) Bill 2014
  • Central Coast Water Catchment Protection Bill 2014
  • Mining Legislation Amendment (Right of Landholders to Refuse Access) Bill 2013
  • Established the Legislative Council Inquiry into Coal Seam Gas
  • Established the ongoing Legislative Council Inquiry into gas supply and price

He has also:

  • Exposed spills, leaks and pollution incidents at CSG operations
  • Conducted a Frack Finding Tour of the USA
  • Toured Wyoming farmer John Fenton to Australia
  • Successfully campaigned for a ban of CSG in urban areas
  • Successfully campaigned to remove the royalty holiday for CSG
  • Stopped the passage of the Petroleum (Onshore) Amendment Bill 2013
  • Raised the issue of domestic gas supplies being diverted to export
  • Worked with NSW Farmers Association, Lock the Gate and other community groups
  • Stood with community members at blockades of drilling sites , including at Bentley, Gloucester, Narrabri and Fullerton Cove
  • Campaigned for greater the right of landholders to say no to exploration on their land
  • Produced and distributed hundreds of thousands of leaflets, stickers and other campaign materials
  • Visited all coal seam gas affected areas of NSW and other states

Contact: Max Phillips – 9230 2202 or 0419 444 916

CSG report card

Metgasco’s gas reserve downgrade reflects cost of failure to earn a social license

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bentley with dairy farmers

The Greens NSW mining spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham today said that the decision by the board of Metgasco to downgrade the value of their gas resources reflected the cost of failing to earn a social license to conduct their drilling operations.

“Metgasco has paid the price for comprehensively failing to earn a social licence in the Northern Rivers to conduct their drilling operations” said Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham.

“Metgasco have admitted that their depressed share price reflects the high level of risk that unconventional gas poses to investors and this downgrade should act as a warning to anyone thinking of investing in fossil fuels in NSW.”

“A business model that relies on cops and courts to force its way into a community is doomed to fail. Metgasco should cut their losses, pack their bags and leave the Northern Rivers.

“The Greens believe that coal seam gas is unsafe, unnecessary and unwanted. The Greens support a rapid transition to clean renewable energy such as wind and solar,” he said.

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