CHAIRMAN of the Manning Alliance, Peter Epov expressed anger and concern this week when the NSW Government finalised coal seam gas (CSG) reforms.
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On Tuesday the government announced measures it said "struck the right balance for communities and industry" with exclusion zones around critical industry, residential zones and future growth areas.
But local action groups have been quick to respond and the Manning Alliance said Gloucester has been deliberately excluded from the new 2km CSG exclusion zones.
"I believe that the NSW Government has very seriously misjudged the consequences of deliberately barring communities such as Gloucester from the 2km CSG exclusion zones. The Government is making decisions anecdotally and not on evidence. As such these decisions will ultimately come back to plague future NSW Governments, in very much the same way that the dreadful mesothelioma disease from asbestos has plagued James Hardie," said Peter Epov, chairman of the Manning Alliance.
Minister for Planning and Infrastructure Brad Hazzard said the final reforms announced on Tuesday were publicly exhibited in October and November last year.
As a result of submissions, an additional five future growth residential areas were added in the Gosford and Great Lakes council areas.
Nominations by landowners to be included or excluded from the Critical Industry Clusters were assessed by the Department of Trade and Investment, resulting in an increase of about 22,000 hectares within the horse-breeding cluster and a minor reduction of about 3,000 hectares in the wine cluster.
Coal seam gas exclusion zones are now in force for an estimated 95 per cent of dwellings covered by current petroleum licences.