Shire council against gas search
but MP dismisses call for ban
Shire mayor Brian Crook, left, and MP Terry Mulder
ENVIRONMENTAL activists expect hundreds of people at a Forrest meeting to protest against coal-seam gas exploration.
Colac Otway Shire Council has demanded mining company ECI International and CFT CBM Holdings abandon their plans to search for coal seam gas in the Forrest, Gellibrand and Barongarook area.
The council has also backed community opposition to the licence by calling on the State Government “to overhaul its management of mining exploration applications to ensure better community consultation”.
Forrest resident and meeting organiser Karen Hansen said that if the government could ban wind turbines in areas of Victoria, it could also ban mining.
But Member for Polwarth Terry Mulder dismissed calls for the State Government to ban exploration for coal-seam gas in the Otways.
“I guess the issue is that if we look what we went through when we were facing a water shortage and we needed groundwater; we can’t say no-one is allowed to drill or explore for resources,” Mr Mulder said.
“At this point in time there is no need for intervention on exploration licences.”
Mr Mulder said he was prepared to take on the concerns of his constituents but the mining companies’ exploration was “totally legal”.
“There is a slim chance of finding a viable resource and if a licence is applied for there is a strict process and strong community consultation,” he said.
“But no-one has reached this stage; there are no CBM licences in Victoria.”
But the council, residents, and environmental campaigners including Friends of the Earth will not “wait and see” if the companies find coal-seam gas.
Mayor Brian Crook said the response to exploration in the Deans Marsh area showed there was no support for mining in the Otways, from the community or political parties.
In the council’s letter to the mining companies, Cr Crook said groundwater was important to the community and it could not be put aquifers at risk.
“We recently heard about coal-seam fracking in Queensland which caused groundwater contamination,” he said.
“We have serious concerns about the lack of community consultation that takes place as part of an application for mining exploration, and we call on the government to make this process more robust and inclusive.”
Tags: Colac Otway Shire Council, Mining, Rural, Water
