Accusations ... the NSW office of Water has suggested revisions were linked to the needs of the mining industry.
THE NSW Greens have labelled the Murray-Darling Basin rescue plan as a ''blueprint for coal seam gas extraction across northern NSW''.
The Greens spokesman on rural water and mining, Jeremy Buckingham, said the draft plan released this week appears to have met demands of the mining and gas extraction industries, which rely heavily on water extraction. Mr Buckingham said the draft had made more than 600 gigalitres available, which would meet the demands of future mining and gas extraction.
The amount allowed for extraction in the Gunnedah Oxley Basin had been revised from zero to 300 gigalitres, he said.
''The area covered by the basin takes in more than 15 coal seam gas exploration licences spread from Muswellbrook, west to Dubbo and north to the Queensland border. More than half of these licence areas are owned or part-controlled by Santos.''
Mr Buckingham said a letter from the NSW Office of Water to the chairman of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, Craig Knowles, had suggested revisions in water allowances were linked to the needs of the mining industry.
Newcastle Herald
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