Tag Archives: metgasco

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

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

As soon as election over National Party attacks Knitting Nannas and democracy

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christine nannas

MEDIA RELEASE - 10 April 2015

The Greens NSW coal seam gas spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham said that a complaint by National Party officials, which has led to a warning from police to Knitting Nannas who have staged weekly peaceful knitting sessions outside Nationals member for Lismore, Thomas George, in protest against coal seam gas, is a ridiculous attack on the democratic right to peaceful protest and Deputy Premier Troy Grant should clarify whether his party and government want the Nannas shut down.

“As soon as the election is over the first move of the National Party has been to try to use the cops to shut down a peaceful group of people knitting outside their local member’s office.

“This ridiculous attack on our democratic right to protest is a desperate attempt by the National Party to stop opposition to coal seam gas so that they can roll out toxic gasfields across our state.

“If the National Party wants to ban knitting in the street then I can only imagine what their response will be to the level of protest they can expect if coal seam gas is allowed to return to the Northern Rivers.

“Police Minister Troy Grant needs to clarify whether he and the Nationals want the Knitting Nannas shut down and whether his government supports the right to peaceful protest.

“The issue of coal seam gas is bigger than the state election. As much as the National Party might wish the issue would go away now the election is over, they are kidding themselves if they think communities will stop protesting while there are still toxic coal seam gas licenses in NSW,” Mr Buckingham said.

Contact: Jack Gough - 9230 2202 or 0427 713 101

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.

NSW Government should not go back on Bentley gas exploration suspension

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Bentley blockade

MEDIA RELEASE - 16 June 2014

The Greens NSW mining spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham today called on the Baird Government not to go back on their decision to suspend gas drilling operations at Bentley, near Lismore in northern NSW, following the announcement by Metgasco that they have deferred plans to sue the NSW Government over the suspension after doing a deal with the Office of Coal Seam Gas.

“The Government should not do any deals with Metgasco and should uphold their decision to suspend gas exploration in northern NSW,” said Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham.

“Regardless of the technicalities, it is clear that Metgasco do not have the support of the community and that the overwhelming opposition to gas drilling will not go away,” he said.

The Government have committed to making a decision on whether to maintain the suspension by June 25 and to make available by June 20 the documents they used to make the initial decision.

Contact: Max Phillips - 9230 2202 or 0419 444 916