Cessnock Council unanimously votes against coal seam gas

At the Cessnock Council Meeting on 6 October 2010, Councillor Dale Troy moved a rescission motion on part of the Cessnock LEP 2010 to put an amendment to exclude mining and extractive activities from the zone containing the vineyards.

This motion, seconded by Councillor James Ryan, welcomed by WAGE and the Hunter Valley Protection Alliance (HVPA) was supported without contest by the Council.

Both Councillors had attended a meeting organised by the Hunter Valley Vineyards Association, Wine Country Tourism and HVPA at The Vintage in Pokolbin on 30 September at which over 100 people from the wine and tourism industries showed their support against AGL Energy's activities in Broke Fordwich, Pokolbin and Wollombi Valley.

"We are not anti-energy," said Peter Firminger, Vice-Chair of WAGE. "If Coal Seam Gas is to be a viable industry in Australia, it must be conducted away from agriculture and viticulture, away from populated regions and certainly no-where near fragile water resources including aquifers, brooks and rivers in the lower Hunter Valley. The process of ‘Fracking' is just dangerous around people and water resources."

"AGL Energy, and the other Coal Seam Gas companies, love doing business in built-up areas because they have access to infrastructure - roads, power and smaller lot sizes so there is more chance to persuade or purchase properties of interest."

"We need to protect communities like Broke, Fordwich, Milbrodale, Bulga, Pokolbin, Gloucester and up into the Liverpool Plains from these companies in areas that have significant rural industry already at the heart of the communities. The new paradigm has spoken and Rural NSW needs to be listened to. This is just the beginning of this industry here, we can learn from the dire mistakes already made in the United States and in Queensland. People and animals are dying from the effects of Coal Seam Gas mining."

Media Contact:

Peter Firminger - Vice-chair - WAGE - 02 4998 3388