The CWA of NSW is today calling on the NSW Government to take the necessary steps to end the Narrabri Gas Project, the only current proposed coal seam gas project in NSW. The call comes after the release of the Parliamentary Inquiry into the Chief Scientist’s recommendations on coal seam gas.
CWA of NSW President Stephanie Stanhope says the report card, released last week, is a clear and strong indication we are not able to confidently extract coal seam gas in a safe manner, and also clearly illustrated that the government seriously lacks the necessary expertise and transparency to oversee the industry.
“Even though the NSW Government stated that all 16 of the Chief Scientist’s 2014 recommendations for governance of the industry have been implemented or were in progress, the Inquiry committee found that this was not the case. Recommendations on transparency of monitoring and data, that have not been progressed, are particularly concerning,” Stephanie said.
“This confirms the CWA of NSW’s policy position calling for a ban on unconventional gas extraction and production is the right thing to do for NSW.
“The questions around impacts on agricultural land and water remain unanswered and the risks are too high. Recommendations made almost six years ago by the Chief Scientist remain outstanding.
“Landholders and communities face uncertainty when making investment decisions, not to mention the problems around the host landholders being protected from potential damage to their land and natural resources.
“The Legislative Council report also makes clear that we still do not understand enough about the health impacts of the industry. While some work is underway, health issues, combined with the risk of irreparable land and water degradation, is not something we should be taking a risk on.
“With all the risks, the unknowns, and now this damning report, it would be extremely reckless to proceed with the Narrabri Gas Project. We are calling for an end to this project and to coal seam gas in NSW once and for all.”
