Alan Jones Calls for Moratorium on Coal Seam Gas Development and Exploration

Broadcaster Alan Jones has called for a moratorium on coal seam gas during his address to the National Press Club in Canberra today. Picture: Ray Strange Source: The Australian

BROADCASTER Alan Jones has used a National Press Club address to launch a broadside at the coal seam gas industry, calling for a moratorium on development and exploration.

In a characteristically fiery performance Mr Jones accused the industry of "plundering" agricultural land and water to exploit gas seams at the expense of public health and future food supplies.

The Sydney talkback king drew on mining developments around his hometown of Acland, on Queensland's Darling Downs, which has largely vanished into an open-cut mine to accuse the resources industry of scant regard for its impacts on rural communities.

Calling coal-seam gas development and exploration "the biggest land use issue since native title", Mr Jones forecast an increasingly strong fight back against the industry.

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The Australian