The Premier was questioned on Friday by Spring Farm residents about health impacts of CSG wells near their homes One local newspaper reported this story on Friday and has since been forced to take the story down. camdenadvertiser.au/story/2555443/premier-addresses-spring-farm-coal-seam-gas-concerns/?cs=1436 Ask questions by contacting the Camden Advertiser: [email protected] 02 4640 5151 Original media release below: MEDIA RELEASE, 12 September 2014 Premier Mike Baird said he will act on health concerns about coal seam gas after being questioned by a western Sydney resident at the Narellan Chamber of Commerce breakfast at Camden Civic Centre this morning. A transcript and video of the question and answer is available below. “If there are any health concerns, even with those existing licences, we will be acting,” said Premier Mike Baird responding to a question about coal seam gas at the Narellan Chamber of Commerce breakfast this morning. Another resident, Spring Farm local Danielle Hodges, also met with Premier Mike Baird after the breakfast to hand deliver a letter of concern signed by twenty Spring Farm residents about the coal seam gas leak near their homes last week. “More than a week has passed since AGL’s coal seam gas well leaked uncontrollably for hours near our homes but the NSW Government have been silent,” said Danielle Hodges who lives at Spring Farm near the coal seam gas well that leaked last week. “We have written to Premier Baird, Resources Minister Anthony Roberts and our local MP Chris Patterson to ask that they investigate and decommission the well that was leaking gas at the end of our street,” she said. “The NSW Government acknowledged that coal seam gas doesn’t belong near homes when it brought in laws to stop any new projects happening within 2km of residential areas, so we are asking for those laws to extend to protect our homes too. “This coal seam gas leak is yet another example that this industry is not safe and residents of south west Sydney should not be treated like guinea pigs for the CSG industry,” she said. The coal seam gas leak happened on Sunday 31 August and both the NSW Environment Protection Authority and AGL say they are investigating the unexpected leak. The leak was noticed by local residents who reported it; firefighters attended the scene for several hours to get the leak under control. VIDEO of question and answer is available at: https://dropbox/sh/aczrivtcmar7sco/AAABCN7FNIbMJkzf68cvKswia?dl=0 PHOTO of Spring Farm resident Danielle Hodges meeting Premier Mike Baird to deliver letter of concern about CSG leak ATTACHED. TRANSCRIPTION – WESTERN SYDNEY RESIDENT ASKS PREMIER ABOUT CSG DURING NARELLAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BREAKFAST AT CAMDEN CIVIC CENTRE ON FRIDAY 12 SEPT 2014 QUESTION FROM LOCAL RESIDENT ON FLOOR: There is a 2km exclusion zone for coal seam gas. We were just talking about some developments in this area and in Spring Farm there are some houses that are 200 metres from coal seam gas mines. Why does the 2km buffer zone not apply to Spring Farm? PREMIER: My understanding is that would be a previous licence given by the previous government, its in place and its legally allowed. I think there is a chalk and cheese approach because we have put in a 2km exclusion zone, that is in place, so there can be no more next to residential in that 2km zone. [...] QUESTION FROM FLOOR: So its fair to say that it [AGL CSG well] should be decommissioned. PREMIER: No you cant do that. Thats one of the challenges. Because one of the great things about the state - when I talk about the global infrastructure players theyre looking at investment down here - they love our regulatory regime, they love our legal system, and in terms of sovereign risk, youve got to have capacity, in a legal system where you are legally given entry, legally make investments and to have that retrospective change that is a massive challenge around the world. No one will want to come and invest their money in infrastructure or anything. So you have to uphold the general principles and I understand the challenges but we have acted as we can. QUESTION FLOOR: [...] No regard for resident’s heath or wellbeing or environmental wellbeing? PREMIER: You know thats not the case. Of course we do. And ultimately thats top of mind in the policies that we are undertaking. If there are any health concerns even with those existing licences we will be acting. And the EPA recently acted down here, we will act on all of those ... [indecipherable].
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 22:50:57 +0000