FEDERAL member for Lyne, Rob Oakeshott, has agreed to personally deliver a letter from the Manning Alliance directly to prime minister Julia Gillard, outlining its concerns about coal seam gas mining across Australia.
The comprehensive four-page letter outlines the need to learn from the American experiences with coal seam gas, and urges Ms Gillard's parliament not to ignore the serious environmental damage created by coal seam gas activities in the US.
It calls for Australia to focus on its opportunities to enhance food production to supply the four billion-strong Asian market directly north of Australia, and points out the need to effectively market Australian produce as quality 'clean' food, produced in safe and natural conditions.
Importantly for the Manning Valley, the letter also calls on the prime minister to recognise the number of Australia's dying rivers, and therefore the need to shore up and insulate healthy rivers such as ours from any potential environmental threat from coal seam gas mining.
Manning Alliance chairman, Peter Epov, handed the letter to Mr Oakeshott late last week, and Mr Oakeshott has undertaken to hand deliver it to Ms Gillard as parliament resumes this week.
Full details of its content will not be released until Ms Gillard has had the chance to reply, Mr Epov saying however the Alliance was delighted Mr Oakeshott had presented an outstanding opportunity "to convey our serious concerns regarding coal seam gas and other related issues" directly to the prime minister.
"We live in a world of mass communications, professional lobbyists, interest groups and activists, and it has become very difficult to get your message across directly to the source," Mr Epov said yesterday.
"Mr Oakeshott has stepped up yet again, and opened up a channel where we can communicate directly with the prime minister. The alternative would have been that some assistant in the PM's office would have received and read our letter and most probably written back to us, without Ms Gillard even knowing that a letter was sent."
The Manning Alliance, formed last year to work strategically with the community to prevent coal seam gas drilling in the valley, is not aligned nor associated with any political party.
“This gives it the opportunity to honestly and directly comment and express its views on the performance of its local politicians”, Mr Epov said. “In this case, it is very refreshing to have a politician (Mr Oakeshott) who is prepared to tap the prime minister on the shoulder and ask her to read and address the concerns of the Manning Valley on coal seam gas.”
Mr Epov said last Thursday’s meeting with Mr Oakeshott was highly productive, discussing a range of issues regarding the recent announcement of the Interim Independent Expert Scientific Committee on coal seam gas mining.
“I expressed concern to Mr Oakeshott that the composition of the final committee needs to adequately balanced to ensure the experts on this committee are from backgrounds that are relevant to the specific scientific research to be undertaken, and not just experts on mining.
“I also expressed our concern that the committee should be independent of the department and the minister.”
The two also discussed the possibility of arranging a high level meeting chaired by Mr Oakeshott, of all the key stakeholders to further advance the proposed scientific studies for the Manning and Gloucester Valleys. Mr Oakeshott will ask the Interim Independent Expert Scientific Committee to send a member to that meeting.
Manning Alliance has asked all key stakeholders to write to the federal minister for the environment, Tony Burke, to express support for the Manning-Gloucester scientific study on the potential impact of coal seam gas on groundwater.
Several have replied and indicated that they would support the move, and MidCoast Water has already sent a letter to minister, Mr Epov said.
However, “One disappointing element is that several stakeholders have not even bothered to acknowledge receipt of our letter.
“The federal government has established a fund of $200 million for research into the impact of coal seam gas mining on water and the establishment of an expert scientific committee, and the Manning Valley should be on top of the list for a coal seam gas study, as a priority,” he said.
“This is a critical and a pivotal point in the fight to insulate the Manning Valley from coal seam gas mining and we need all the key players and stakeholders to get on board and support the establishment of an independent scientific study.
“Federal government funding is available for this and we should not miss out, yet again!”
Email a friend