THE Manning Valley should be reviewed and classified as a region of State significance and should be permanently locked as a 'No Go Zone' for coal seam gas mining, Manning Alliance Inc believes.
"Areas should be closed off as No Go Zones, specifically areas which already have flourishing activities, economies, sensitive land and water characteristics which will be significantly jeopardised by the introduction of coal seam gas (CSG) mining," the Alliance says in its formal submission to the Legislative Council's current inquiry.
The final wording of the 17-page Alliance submission will be completed today in time for tomorrow's deadline for lodgement.
Manning Alliance was formed as a result of a series of public meetings and information nights in recent weeks involving landholders, farmers and other concerned members of the community.
Over 300 people have attended these events and expressed grave concerns regarding CSG mining and the current system that allows exploration and mining companies to have what the Alliance submission describes as "unfair, and unreasonable status over landholders and farmers who, in many instances, have farmed and worked their land for many generations".
The Manning Valley is one region that should become a no go zone for CSG drilling, Alliance chair Peter Epov says.
"Our valley and its economy incorporates a range of diverse and complementary agrarian and tourist activities in a rich and significant biodiversity of floral, fauna and pristine water.
"This unique region should not be compromised and exposed to the risk of CSG mining."
The Alliance is urging all concerned community members to join it in lodging a submission to the State government's committee of inquiry, before tomorrow's deadline.
It is offering copies of its own submission for public perusal, as a pro forma submission, or inviting Manning residents to word their own document.
"CSG drilling should be viewed and seen as experimental and should be controlled. The risks are too great and it will be too late if significant damage is caused to the aquifers and the water table below the Manning Valley", the Alliance submission says.
"As such we need to be vigilant: to defend and protect our living standards and our way of life.
"We should never risk nor compromise the basic human requirements for air, water and food under any circumstances, particularly in a world which has a growing population, and the subject of food security and the availability of water will become critical!"
Manning Alliance believes it is not unrealistic to ask that a total moratorium on CSG mining be placed within New South Wales while the true impacts of CSG mining operations are exhaustively and independently assessed.
Coal seam gas mining has been banned and/or restricted in overseas countries, and in parts of Australia. It has been closed down by the EPA in the Margaret River area of Western Australia and operations have been closed down on health and safety aspects in Queensland, according to the local group's submission.
A number of local councils within NSW are voicing their opinions that they do not want CSG mining in their area, although at this stage Greater Taree City Council is yet to consider its position.
"(Australia) should not be bullied into accepting and adopting unqualified and potentially indiscriminate technologies that other countries are prepared to adopt in desperation to feed and meet their national energy requirement," the Manning submission says.
"We don't need to compromise and risk the health of our nation, the health of our environment, the health of our land and the quality of our water.
"Nor do we need to jeopardise the existing local economies by imposing a process which may, in fact, create a few 'new' jobs, but will significantly impact upon and harm other existing and non compatible activities such as agriculture, animal farming, or tourism.
"This is why we should not, and indeed we don't, need to jump into the mire of CSG mining recklessly, and with some extreme sense of indecent urgency, as if it really is the end of the world and if we don't take up this opportunity, it will pass us by never to return."
Copies of the Manning Alliance submission, or more information, can be obtained from Alliance member Lloyd Parslow on 653 4951.
"We should hold off until it is critical and a necessity, and there is substantial balanced scientific data which demonstrates with some degree of certainty that the industry is mature, respectable and responsible."
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