Limestone Coast Protection Alliance Inc
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Limestone Coast Protection Alliance Inc. Save our water, soil and air from invasive mining & industrial gasfields www.protectlimestonecoast.org.au Email: [email protected] Senate Inquiry into the Landholders' Rights to Refuse (Gas and Coal) Bill 2015 May, 2015 Limestone Coast Protection Alliance Inc. Save our water, soil and air from invasive mining & industrial gasfields www.protectlimestonecoast.org.au Email: [email protected] Senate Inquiry into the Landholders' Rights to Refuse (Gas and Coal) Bill 2015 The private senator's bill proposes to make gas or coal mining activities undertaken without prior written authorisation from landholders unlawful and would ban constitutional corporations from engaging in hydraulic fracturing operations (fracking) for coal seam gas, shale gas and tight gas The Limestone Coast Protection Alliance offer our submission into this inquiry divided in the following sections. Section 1. Summary Section 2. The risks of groundwater contamination - part 1 Section 3. The risks of groundwater contamination - part 2 Section 4. Chemicals Section 5. The impacts upon landscape Section 6. The effectiveness of existing legislation and regulation Section 7. The potential net economic outcomes to the region and the rest of the State Section 8. Health Section 9. Renewable energy 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 Page 2 of 299 Limestone Coast Protection Alliance Inc. Save our water, soil and air from invasive mining & industrial gasfields www.protectlimestonecoast.org.au Email: [email protected] Prime Agricultural land covers only 4% of Australia's land area and is essential to our long term survival. We believe that this Bill, which proposes to make gas or coal mining activities undertaken without prior written authorisation from landholders unlawful, will ensure that prime agricultural land is protected for food production. Furthermore, this Bill which places a ban on constitutional corporations from engaging in hydraulic fracturing operations (fracking) for coal seam gas, shale gas and tight gas, will ensure that our landscapes, water, soil, air quality and the health of people and animals is protected. Hydraulic fracturing and coal mining are industrial processes with a massive environmental footprint and significant potential to contaminate our air, soil and water and have an impact on our landscape. In view of the potential, long term and serious risks of hydraulic fracturing we support this Bill. Page 3 of 299 Limestone Coast Protection Alliance Inc. 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. On Australia day, 2015, the LCPA was awarded the Mayoral community event of the year – for this declaration day ceremony – by the District Council of Robe. In May 2015, the Limestone Coast has 25 communities self-declared Gasfield Free. Over all, in these local communities 96% of people are opposing gas fields and 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).” Page 4 of 299 Limestone Coast Protection Alliance Inc. Table of Contents Limestone Coast Protection Alliance Inc. Save our water, soil and air from invasive mining & industrial gasfields ..................................................................................................................... 1 Inquiry into the Landholders' Rights to Refuse (Gas and Coal) Bill 2015 .................................. 2 Save our water, soil and air from invasive mining & industrial gasfields .................................. 3 About us:.................................................................................................................................... 4 Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................... 5 SECTION 1: Summary ............................................................................................................... 21 Map of PELs in SE of SA ........................................................................................................ 23 Health Risks .......................................................................................................................... 25 Legal issues........................................................................................................................... 26 At the moment there is a great deal of confusion regarding many aspects of the type and length of time this current hydraulic fracture stimulation (fracking) has been used and this needs to be clarified. ........................................................................................................... 26 The Act should be amended to protect Prime Agricultural Land, Water Resources, Farmers and Rural Communities........................................................................................................ 26 Key outcomes should be: ..................................................................................................... 26 1. No licences should be issued on Prime Agricultural land. ............................................ 26 2. Water resources should be protected, at all costs ....................................................... 26 3. Farmers to have the right to farm, productively and efficiently without interruptions. ....................................................................................................................... 26 4. Health, wellbeing and prosperity of rural communities should be a priority. ........... 26 5. Climate Change should be addressed. ....................................................................... 26 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 26 SECTION 2: RISKS OF GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION ...................................................... 28 PART 1 .................................................................................................................................. 28 Author .................................................................................................................................. 29 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................ 30 1.0 WATER SCARCITY ............................................................................................................... 35 2.0 AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT BUREAU OF METEOROLOGY (BOM) ANNUAL CLIMATE STATEMENT 2014 .................................................................................................................... 35 3.0 SOUTH EAST UNCONFINED AND CONFINED DILWYN AQUIFERS ...................................