THE reality of coal seam gas mining has arrived in the Gloucester Valley, and Manning and Great Lakes residents are now faced with a growing threat to their water supply.
The State government has approved 110 gas wells in the first stage of AGL's coal seam gas project near Gloucester, with a further 220 proposed in stages 2 and 3.
The development, including a local processing centre and a gas pipeline to Hexham linking with the Newcastle-Sydney gas supply network, has sparked outrage in the Gloucester Valley.
Anyone who has watched the deeply shocking Gasland documentary will be aware of what might happen as coal seam gas mining "explodes" across Australia, but the message now needs to go out to the wider community, authorities warned yesterday.
Residents of Taree, the Manning Valley and the Great Lakes region should be aware of the implications from further coal seam gas mining operations likely to be approved in the catchment of the Manning River, local community leaders said.
For this reason, a community forum has been arranged at the Gloucester Soldiers Club, Denison Street Gloucester at 7pm next Tuesday, March 22.
AGL has agreed to participate and respond to questions and concerns raised by the community, and with coal seam gas mining now becoming an election issue, candidates for the seats Myall Lakes and Upper Hunter are especially being asked to attend.
The forum has been convened by the Barrington-Gloucester-Stroud Preservation Alliance which last year screened Gasland in Gloucester and Stroud. Subsequent screenings have been held in recent weeks in Taree and Forster.
"The film was deeply shocking and has had a significant impact on the community," alliance spokesman Graeme Healy said.
"This has been exacerbated by subsequent revelations and warnings about the coal seam gas industry, culminating in the ABC 4 Corners program late last month."
Despite all the warnings, Mr Healy said, approval was announced last week by the NSW Government for the overall concept plan and stage 1 development for 110 gas wells of AGL's coal seam gas project in the Gloucester Valley.
"The alliance is of the view that AGL's environmental assessment did not provide adequate guarantees that gas migration and damage to aquifers will not occur and the community is being asked to take too much on trust.
"There is also great concern about the visual impact of the network of gas wells and associated infrastructure.
"The Alliance is particularly concerned that warnings about the need for a precautionary approach to the development of this industry, particularly given the potential negative impact on water tables, aquifers and spring systems, are being ignored.
"This has significant implications for the people living down-river from Gloucester in Taree and Port Stephens."
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