NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer Mary O’Kane dismissed calls for a moratorium on coal seam gas extraction during a flying visit to Tamworth yesterday.
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Professor O’Kane discussed her 16-month review of the industry in a keynote address to the NSW Country Women’s Association’s (CWA) 93rd annual state conference.
The review, handed down last September, included 16 recommendations for how the NSW government should handle the “contentious and complex” issue.
Professor O’Kane concluded the risks associated with extracting gas from coal seams “can be managed”, providing the appropriate regulatory framework is in place.
She told The Leader the Baird government’s commitment to adopting all 16 of her recommendations could ensure the industry operates as safely as possible.
“As long as the risks we talked about are addressed – and there are things to address – but it’s not to say the industry should stop in the meantime,” she said.
In her address, Professor O’Kane said the coal seam gas industry could deliver benefits to “communities and to individuals”.
“There are still things we need to know more about to make the industry even better,” she said.
“Risks can be managed, but new technologies are becoming available, particularly large data-monitoring technologies, and these need to be brought in.”
