‘Nationals Must Come Clean on Mining Stance’

Lyne MP Robert Oakeshott says the National Party must come clean on its coal seam gas stance in the Manning and Gloucester valleys.

Mr Oakeshott said he was concerned that a local community action group, the Barrington-Gloucester-Stroud Preservation Alliance, would not be allowed to give evidence at the NSW Legislative Council Inquiry into CSG in Taree on October 31.

“There are two State National Party MPs who were very recently elected talking up their concerns about coal seam gas, and their belief in community,” Mr Oakeshott said.

“Well, here is the chance for Steve Bromhead and George Souris to actually do something that meets those two pre-election commitments.

“Post-election, they did not make submissions to the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry, when they should have, and now they seem to be denying local groups the chance to present to that inquiry.”

Mr Oakeshott said he was concerned the NSW Government’s economic strategy, as outlined in its State plan, was to increase the value of mining production in NSW by 30 per cent by 2020 and to ‘attract petroleum and mineral exploration investment in under-explored areas of NSW’.

“The emerging question for Mr Bromhead and Mr Souris is, ‘are you going to put your community first, or are you going to put your political party first?’ “ he said.

Manning River Times