Limestone Coast Protection Alliance Inc. Save Our Water, Soil and Air from Invasive Mining & Industrial Gasfields
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Gas submission 872 Limestone Coast Protection Alliance Inc. Save our water, soil and air from invasive mining & industrial gasfields Victorian Unconventional Gas Inquiry July, 2015 Gas submission 872 Save our water, soil and air from invasive mining & industrial gasfields Victorian Unconventional Gas Inquiry July, 2015 The Limestone Coast Protection Alliance offer our submission into this inquiry divided in the following sections. Section 1 : Summary Section 2 : Risks of Groundwater Contamination Section 3 : (2) the environmental, land productivity and public health risks, risk mitigations and residual risks of onshore unconventional gas activities; (3) the coexistence of onshore unconventional gas activities with existing land and water uses, including — (a) agricultural production and domestic and export market requirements; (b) the legal rights of property owners and the impact on property values; and (c) any implications for local and regional development, investment and jobs; Section 4 and 5: (2) the environmental, land productivity and public health risks, risk mitigations and residual risks of onshore unconventional gas activities; (5) the resource knowledge requirements and policy and regulatory safeguards that would be necessary to enable exploration and development of onshore unconventional gas resources, including — (a) further scientific work to inform the effective regulation of an onshore unconventional gas industry, including the role of industry and government, particularly in relation to rigorous monitoring and enforcement, and the effectiveness of impact mitigation responses; and (b) performance standards for managing environmental and health risks, including water quality, air quality, chemical use, waste disposal, land contamination and geotechnical stability; Section 6 : (5) the resource knowledge requirements and policy and regulatory safeguards that would be necessary to enable exploration and development of onshore unconventional gas resources, including — (a) further scientific work to inform the effective regulation of an onshore unconventional gas industry, including the role of industry and government, particularly in relation to Gas submission 872 rigorous monitoring and enforcement, and the effectiveness of impact mitigation responses; and (b) performance standards for managing environmental and health risks, including water quality, air quality, chemical use, waste disposal, land contamination and geotechnical stability; Section 7 : (2) the environmental, land productivity and public health risks, risk mitigations and residual risks of onshore unconventional gas activities; (3) the coexistence of onshore unconventional gas activities with existing land and water uses, including — (a) agricultural production and domestic and export market requirements; (b) the legal rights of property owners and the impact on property values; and (c) any implications for local and regional development, investment and jobs; Section 8 : Climate Change 4 (b) an affordable energy source for domestic consumers; and (c) carbon dioxide emissions from these sources; Section 9 : Renewable Energy 4 (b) an affordable energy source for domestic consumers; and (c) carbon dioxide emissions from these sources; Contributors: Anne Daw Leanne Emery Heather Gibbons Heather Heggie Debbie Nulty Merilyn Paxton Dr Catherine Pye Dr David Senior Dennis Vice Sue Westgarth Sandra Young Committee: Huck Shepherd (Chairman), Merilyn Paxton (Deputy Chair), Heather Gibbons, Marcia Lorenz and Dr Catherine Pye (Secretarial), Anne Daw, Donna Kennett (Treasurer), Leanne Emery, Will Legoe, Debbie Nulty, Ernest Ralton, Dr David Senior, Dennis Vice, Sue Westgarth. Photography; Jacqui Bateman, Pip Rasenberg Gas submission 872 Save our water, soil and air from invasive mining & industrial gasfields www.protectlimestonecoast.org.au Email: [email protected] Only 4% of Australia's land area is Prime Agricultural land1 and it is essential to our long term survival. Anything that can negatively impact on this agricultural land such as unconventional gas drilling should not be allowed. Victoria's existent primary industries and rural communities depend on "clean" water, air and soil, and in south west Victoria are dependent on groundwater. Unconventional gas extraction is an industrial process with a massive environmental footprint and significant potential to contaminate our air, soil and water and have an impact on our landscape and health. In view of the potential, long term, unknown and serious risks of unconventional gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) we strongly advocate for a permanent ban in Victoria. 1 Goldthorpe Kylie BVSc Feature Article. 2013. Can Rural Vet Practice Survive Mining? Oakey Coal Action Alliance Gas submission 872 Save our water, soil and air from invasive mining & industrial gasfields www.protectlimestonecoast.org.au Email: [email protected] About us: In 2013, a group of Kingston & Robe residents & ratepayers’ re-formed Limestone Coast Strike Out Alliance Incorporated (LCSOA). The primary objective of the group was to raise awareness amongst the local community of the potential risks that Strike Energy mining activities may pose to the Limestone Coast region. Strike Energy at that time had a licence over the lignite coal deposit north of Kingston, and if this mine went ahead it could have put Kingston’s water supply at risk, potentially drying up bores of surrounding farms and houses, leading to salt water intrusion and contamination of groundwater. In 2014, the LCSOA recognised that the whole of the Limestone Coast is covered by Petroleum Exploration Licenses (PEL) and we changed the name to Limestone Coast Protection Alliance Inc. (LCPA) although the goal continues to be to raise awareness of the potential risk gasfields and invasive mining projects have for the region which is only 2.2% of the State's land area, but contains over 40% of the state’s prime agricultural land. In 12 months, LCPA has built up a solid reputation and membership has risen from 11 to over 400. We have worked with our seven local councils, as well as the South East Local Government Association (SELGA) to raise awareness of the potential losses gas mining projects would pose for our groundwater, land, air quality and health. In June 2014, SELGA formally passed a motion asking for a moratorium on unconventional gas and fracking in the Limestone Coast and each individual council has passed similar motions either asking the State government for a moratorium or an Inquiry for further information. In September, LCPA presented a petition to the Legislative Council containing 2795 signatures asking for 'landholders to have the rights to say no to gas and mining projects on their land'. This has seen overwhelming majority support from the community, both rural and city. In October 2014, the District Council of Robe was the first SA council to be presented with Gasfield Free community declarations. Since then 5 communities in District Council of Grant and 8 communities in Wattle Range Council have held Gasfield Free Ceremonies presenting community declarations to their elected council representatives. By June 2015, the Limestone Coast has 30 communities self-declared Gasfield Free. Over all, surveys have shown that 95% of people are opposing gasfield and invasive mining projects. LCPA statement “Our concern is Australia has very little prime agricultural land to grow clean and green food. If these coal and gas projects went ahead potentially it will have detrimental effects on our ground water, land, businesses, tourism & health (people, livestock, pets, wildlife).” Gas submission 872 Main Authors in alphabetical order Anne Daw, grew up out of Kingston SE on her parent's sheep and cattle station. The family still retains some of the property which is pristine natural vegetation. Although living in Adelaide, Anne still spends quite a lot of time with the community in the South East. She trained as a registered nurse at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, gaining a gold medal at completion of studies. Anne has been advocating for the protection of high yielding agricultural land for the past 8 years, when she discovered that the Kingston lignite next door to her property had been re-granted for exploration. During this time, Anne has been working voluntarily at a state, national and international level. She is a member of the Round Table for the Roadmap of Unconventional Gas Projects in South Australia since 2012, when she first became aware of planned unconventional gas in the SE, and has also served on the Round Table for Health and Energy Policy in Canberra. Anne was a joint winner for the Jill Hudson state award for environmental work from the Conservation Council in 2013. Her main concerns are fresh water and a sustainable food bowl for now and for the future and health issues. Leanne Emery, has lived all her life in the South East of South Australia. Her grandparents and parents farmed in the Tatiara, where her brothers continue to farm. As his father and uncles were before him Leanne's husband and now also their eldest daughter are graziers in the Limestone Coast. Leanne has spent many years involved in various community organisations. In 2013 she became the secretary for twelve months of the Limestone Coast Protection Alliance Inc (then named the Limestone Coast Strike Out Alliance Inc). Leanne's concerned about the potential adverse consequences of the encroachment of invasive mining and unconventional gas