TEN thousand signatures are expected to be on petitions and in the hands of the coal seam gas inquiry standing committee by five o'clock today.
That's the deadline for submissions to the inquiry, being conducted by a Legislative Council general purpose standing committee into the activities of the State's burgeoning coal seam gas industry.
The deadline was extended by one week until today, because of the response to the call for submissions from the general public.
On Monday, 8000 signatures had been added to petitions along with submissions from across the State, and another 1000 were known to be on the way to Sydney.
Manning Alliance Inc, a group formed to preserve the agrarian amenity of the Manning Valley for future generations, has presented a lengthy submission covering 25 pages, personally handed over to the inquiry's deputy chairman in Sydney on Monday afternoon.
The Alliance urges caution by the State government in allowing coal seam gas mining in areas of NSW such as the Manning Valley, which it would like to see declared 'areas of State significance'.
Alliance chairman, Peter Epov, travelled to Sydney on Monday to deliver the local submission to Jeremy Buckingham, Greens MLC, who is deputy chairman of the inquiry's standing committee.
Mr Epov described his meeting with Mr Buckingham as "very positive and constructive," as he impressed on him the need to protect prime agricultural land from the threat of mining.
"I learned that around 500 submissions had been lodged already, and the committee is expecting about 700 in total by the deadline," Mr Epov said.
"The response from the concerned public has been exceptionally good, and the standing committee has its eye very much on the ball."
Mr Epov said he had been promised further feedback in the next few days.
Many of the submissions lodged were in the form of petitions with individual signatures, and added weight to a call for a Royal Commission into coal seam gas activities, Mr Epov said.
"Among the petitions and submissions are many calls for a moratorium and the banning of extraction by way of fracking."
He learned also that Mr Buckingham has a private member's bill before parliament next month, on similar issues, and agrees with the creation of regions of State significance where mining should not be allowed.
The general purpose standing committee of the Legislative Council was launched on August 5 to inquire into and report on the environmental, health, economic and social impacts of coal seam gas activities. The role of coal seam gas in meeting the future energy needs of NSW will also be examined.
Once submissions close today, the inquiry moves to its next phase, a series of six public hearings in centres across NSW, including Taree on Monday October 31.
NSW public hearings
Coal seam gas mining inquiry public hearings will be held at:
o September 21 ? Lismore
o October 31 ? Taree (venue to be advised)
o November 16 ? Narrabri
o November 17 ? Parliament House, Sydney
o December 8 ? Bowral
o December 9 ? Parliament House, Sydney
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