Govt must act to protect Gunnedah Basin food bowl from gas mining expansion

"Mining for coal seam gas has no place in the fertile food-producing
lands in the Gunnedah Basin and the Rees government should quarantine
the area from exploration and drilling", Ms Rhiannon said.

"In the context of climate change and ongoing drought, the profits of
big gas companies should not take precedence over the protection of
critical water supplies that feed our prime agricultural lands.

"The extraction of coal seam methane gas is a brutal process,
involving digging up land, air and noise pollution and contamination of
local water supplies with highly-saline water.

"In the US, drinking water levels in wells near a methane gas
development reportedly dropped by 200 feet and artesian wells that tap
into the coal beds have also disappeared.

"The community is united against Santos' coal seam gas exploration
plans because of the threat it poses to the local environment.

"But Santos has secured the unswerving support of the NSW Government,
which places the interests of mining companies firmly ahead of community
concerns.

"The Greens private members bill to protect prime agricultural land
from mining was defeated by just one vote in NSW Parliament. The
government, the Shooters Party and the Rev Fred Nile united to vote
against the bill.

"In the debate, the Shooters Party and Fred Nile suggested they would
support the Greens bill if it was put forward by the Nationals.

"The pressure is now on the Nationals to stick to their commitment
and reintroduce this bill when parliament resumes in September.

"The Nationals should also expand the bill to include a moratorium on
coal seam gas mining and exploration on prime agricultural land.

"I will be travelling throughout regional NSW in the coming months
urging National Party MPs to put their money where their mouth is and
put forward a concrete bill to protect our best food-producing lands
from the impacts of mining", said Ms Rhiannon.

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