Did you see Four Corners last night? We’ve known for a long time that coal seam gas poses unacceptable risks to our water, food, farmers, and climate – but this was a new low.
Rivers bubbling with methane. The water table dropping by 700 metres. Families who’ve been farming for generations shocked at the lies they’ve been told by gas companies and their lobbyists, who say that CSG is perfectly safe – without any science to back them up.
Enough. The community is convinced. We’re standing with them. We can halt the rush of these corporations across our land, and we can do it this year. It’s time for an immediate moratorium on all CSG approvals.
Will you join me and all Greens in standing for our land and water?
We’ve already had a win along the way. Working with independent MP Tony Windsor, the Greens secured changes that mean national protections for water can’t be handed off to irresponsible state governments like the one that asked Simone Marsh to write environmental conditions in half a day. That Bill passed the House with our amendment two weeks ago.
We have one more thing to do before protecting our water from CSG is a reality: pressure the Labor Government to bring it on for debate in the Senate when the Parliament sits in 6 weeks. If they don’t, we risk losing it to a fevered election campaign and a possible Abbott Government.
But that’s only one piece of the puzzle. We’ve seen yet more proof that people power is working on CSG: a huge social media response last night has forced the big corporations and old parties into damage control, and our call for a moratorium is leading news bulletins today.
I’ll take your signatures to Parliament in 42 days. We need to build and build this between now and then for maximum impact.
Yours with determination,
Larissa Waters
Greens Senator for Queensland
P.S. Locals in the Northern Rivers of NSW have already forced CSG company Metgasco to suspend their fracking plans, and the campaign to lock the gate in the Hunter is going from strength to strength – but neither of the old parties are listening to these communities. That’s why Christine Milne is about to visit winemakers, farmers and residents in the Hunter and the Rivers, to hear from them about how mining corporations are risking their livelihoods – and talk about how we can work together to stop them. Follow Christine on Facebook and Twitter today to hear all the latest from these communities.
