Media release
AGL announces property purchases in Hunter
17 October 2011
AGL announces property purchases in Hunter
17 October 2011
AGL Energy has today confirmed the purchase of two properties in the Hunter as part of its Hunter Gas Project.
The properties are the Poole’s Rock Vineyard located at 229 Wollombi Road, purchased from the Clarke family, and the Yellow Rock Estate located adjacent to Poole’s Rock at 121 Wollombi Road, purchased from James Smil...ey.
AGL Group General Manager Upstream Gas Mike Moraza said the various agricultural activities currently carried out on these properties, including viticulture, cattle grazing and cropping, would be continued.
“I know there has been considerable speculation about our intentions for the Poole’s Rock property, I apologize for any concern this may have caused in the community, but until the purchases were finalised we were unable to talk about the transactions in any detail,” Mr Moraza said.
“I also acknowledge that the late David Clarke, whose family has sold us the Poole’s Rock property, expressed some concerns about the CSG industry in the Hunter. We spoke to David directly about his concerns late last year so we do understand his points of view.”
AGL has a long term commitment to the development of the Hunter Gas Project.
The purchase of these properties now provides the Hunter Gas Project with more certainty, allowing us to continue to demonstrate coexistence of the natural gas industry with the communities in which we operate. We recognise that there has been concern in the community about the lack of information on our future plans and moving forward we will be able to address this.
“But it is our belief that over time we will demonstrate to the community that our industry is low impact, it is safe, it is clean and that it can coexist alongside farming, wine-making and other agricultural industries.
“We have already shown at our existing properties at Windermere and Spring Mountain, where we operate a lucerne farm and vineyard alongside a number of exploration wells, that CSG can coexist with agriculture. We know the Hunter is a beautiful place and we promise to keep it that way.”
Mr Moraza said that Australian Horticultural Management will continue to manage the Vineyard. AGL will strive to demonstrate how responsible companies like AGL operate in Australia’s growing and important natural gas industry.
He said, “AGL believed that ownership of the properties would clearly allow us to demonstrate that the natural gas industry could co-exist with other agricultural and viticultural land uses and users.
“I know there has been considerable speculation about our intentions for the Poole’s Rock property, I apologize for any concern this may have caused in the community, but until the purchases were finalised we were unable to talk about the transactions in any detail,” Mr Moraza said.
“I also acknowledge that the late David Clarke, whose family has sold us the Poole’s Rock property, expressed some concerns about the CSG industry in the Hunter. We spoke to David directly about his concerns late last year so we do understand his points of view.”
AGL has a long term commitment to the development of the Hunter Gas Project.
The purchase of these properties now provides the Hunter Gas Project with more certainty, allowing us to continue to demonstrate coexistence of the natural gas industry with the communities in which we operate. We recognise that there has been concern in the community about the lack of information on our future plans and moving forward we will be able to address this.
“We have some very high expectations to meet and we expect and understand that our activities in the local area will be closely watched and questioned by the community,” Mr Moraza said.
“But it is our belief that over time we will demonstrate to the community that our industry is low impact, it is safe, it is clean and that it can coexist alongside farming, wine-making and other agricultural industries.
“We have already shown at our existing properties at Windermere and Spring Mountain, where we operate a lucerne farm and vineyard alongside a number of exploration wells, that CSG can coexist with agriculture. We know the Hunter is a beautiful place and we promise to keep it that way.”
Mr Moraza said that Australian Horticultural Management will continue to manage the Vineyard. AGL will strive to demonstrate how responsible companies like AGL operate in Australia’s growing and important natural gas industry.
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