TWO communities, one in the North West and the other in the Hunter, have firmly stated their opposition to coal seam gas after voting on the issue in the past week.
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Mullaley residents were the first to decide they want to be “CSG-free” when they held a community vote last Friday night.
The results of the first community survey returned an overwhelming vote for the Mullaley area, with 98.5 per cent of local people surveyed from Mullaley to Tambar Springs over the past two months voting to declare the area coal seam gas-free.
At the Mullaley hall, landowners and residents celebrated the results and presented declarations to Gunnedah shire councillor David Quince and Warrumbungle shire councillor Anne-Louise Capel.
Attendees requested the declarations be handed to the mayors of the two councils.
Spokeswoman Robyn King said it was a great result and proved a wonderful way of uniting the community.
“We know we will stand together against coal seam gas,” she said.
“The declarations that were handed to the local councillors said it all, ‘this road is gasfield free – protected by the will of the community’,” Ms King said.
The survey was based on an approach in the Northern Rivers, which gave the community an opportunity to speak out against coal seam gas in the region.
The meeting came just two days before nearby Singleton council councillors unanimously rejected an application by AGL Energy to access council road reserves for its coal seam methane exploration.
A packed public gallery in Singleton reportedly burst into applause when councillors resolved not only to refuse the company’s access, but to reaffirm the council’s objection to all coal seam gas activities in the Singleton area.
The community spoke through the council, with the decision being announced last Monday.
The resolution passed stated that council refuses the request by AGL for seismic testing on road reserves under section 72 of the Petroleum (Onshore) Act due to uncertain damage to council’s important and expensive infrastructure.
