Tuesday, November 1

Gloucester Farmer's Coal Gas Mining 'Nightmare'


Club Taree's top car park was a sea of blue for yesterday's protest.


IT'S "one continuous bloody nightmare", once coal seam gas mining exploration begins on a property, a witness told the opening session of yesterday's government inquiry in Taree.
Cr John Rosenbaum, deputy mayor of Gloucester Shire Council, was one of five representatives from three local government councils invited to give evidence at the day-long hearing at Club Taree.
Speaking from his personal experience as a Gloucester landowner already affected by a mining company's exploration practices, Cr Rosenbaum said the uncertainty of having your property under exploration licence "goes on and on and on" and could go on for the next five years.
"They treat you as if it's their property. You might have 30 vehicles  for 20 or 30 blokes every day all over your farm (during exploration)," he said.

"The $1000 they give you is not compensation... they treat you like bloody idiots... the person who owns the property is treated as though they have no rights at all.
"But I own the property, and I pay the rates, so surely I have rights."


Manning River Times

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