A Black Cockatoo: June 2012

Wednesday, June 27

Newman is digging in wrong hole

IN HIS televised address, Premier Campbell Newman warned Queenslanders that spending cuts were needed to rein in debt.

This follows his announcement that the state cannot afford to pay 20,000 public-sector workers.

But how can this be when Queensland is the second most resource-rich state in the middle of the biggest mining boom in Australia's history? Shouldn't the economy be booming?

In 2010, Queensland exported 186 million tonnes of coal, and this is expected to rise to 250 million tonnes by 2015. The state has $75 billion worth of projects that are either under construction or about to start.

While UNESCO has raised concerns about the increase in ship traffic through the Great Barrier Reef that some of these projects will generate, Newman responded by saying: "We're in the coal business." He is keen to see the coal and coal-seam gas industries grow.

Courier Mail

What's the hurry with CSG fracking?

Just what is the deal with coal seam gas? Is it safe and it is all it's cracked up to be?

COAL FORMS OVER aeons of time from dead vegetation buried under layers of sand, silt and clay at depths where it is compressed and heated to temperatures from 100˚C to 200˚C. As it changes into peat and then coal, gas is released (made up of methane, carbon dioxide and other constituents).

Some of this remains trapped in the layers, and this is what we call coal seam gas or CSG – it’s the gas that’s responsible for explosions in traditional coalmining.

Exploration of unconventional gas sources, such as CSG and shale gas, has grown rapidly since the mid-1990s as consumption has increased and Australia moves towards a lower carbon economy. All are found in complex geological systems and demand technical innovation to extract safely and economically. CSG is contentious because exploration pre-empts drilling and production in locations that house communities or have other land uses, such as agriculture and forestry.

National Geographic

Fracking in Southland exposed : NZ

Orauea stream in Southland was a dumping spot for fracking fluid and waste water

3 News can reveal previously unreleased details of one the few sites in New Zealand to use the controversial method of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

In the warmer months, Orauea stream in Southland is a great trout fishing spot. In the 90s it was also a great dumping spot for fracking fluid and waste water.

“The industry's very much assuring people it's got everything under control but when you look at some of the things that have happened in the past - this incident you’re talking about and up in the Taranaki - I think it pays for the public to be very watchful,” says Environment Southland councillor Robert Guyton.

A now defunct company set up two wells in 1995 to prospect for coal seam gas just south of Ohai in Southland.

Each well was fracked using water, sand and 95 litres of a chemical which breaks down into formaldehyde.

3 News

No New Coal Rally - protect our farmland, no new coal power, no brown coal exports : Rally

Steps of Parliament House, Spring Street, Melbourne
Thursday 28th June, 2012
12:30pm

Please join us to show opposition to new coal projects which would destroy prime farmland and triple Victoria's contribution to greenhouse pollution.

Melbourne's market garden food-bowl, Bacchus Marsh, is under threat from a plan to export brown coal. The plan - using a...n experimental drying technology - could coat our food in coal dust and contaminate land and water.

Along with Baillieu's other experimental plans to export brown coal, this would more than TRIPLE Victoria's CO2 emissions.

At the same time, the Federal and State governments are still offering the coal company HRL $150 million - your taxes - to build a new coal fired power station in Victoria.

Now is the perfect time to speak up: the Federal Government is very sensitive on climate right now and Baillieu holds power by one seat by one power... join us to speak clearly and be listened to. Standing together, we can stop new coal in Victoria.

WA changes rules in Woodside LNG case

The West Australian government has moved the goalposts just one week ahead of a legal challenge to Woodside Petroleum's proposed $30 billion Kimberley gas hub, the state's Environmental Defender's Office (EDO) says.

The office issued a statement on Tuesday criticising WA Planning Minster John Day's decision to amend local planning rules specifically allowing Woodside to conduct preliminary works at the culturally and environmentally sensitive site without shire approval.

The EDO launched a civil case against the Shire of Broome last month on behalf of Goolarabooloo man Richard Hunter, a traditional owner of the James Price Point site, 60km north of Broome, where Woodside wants to build the world's biggest LNG processing plant.

The case hinges on a decision by the Kimberley Joint Development Assessment Panel to grant retrospective and new approvals to Woodside without the shire's consent.

The EDO and Mr Hunter are suing the shire for allowing the decision to be made on its behalf.

NZOG hints at bigger Kupe oil field

Shares in New Zealand Oil & Gas, the Wellington-based oil explorer are climbing after the company hinted at a ''material'' upgrade in the size of Kupe, its principal field.

This morning the NZX-listed company said preliminary results from a reserves review of the gas and oil field by operator Origin Energy suggested its estimated reserves should be increased.

Kupe, which lies 30 kilometres off the Taranaki Coast, accounts for 70 per cent of NZOG's revenues and 90 per cent of its proven reserves.

Spokesman Chris Roberts would not discuss the scale of the possible increase, but said preliminary figures from Origin suggested a significant increase, leaving the NZOG concerned that it had to inform the market.

Stuff.co.nz

Region faces destruction

Not here: Mirboo North’s Peter and Glenda Smith protest coal seam gas mining at South Gippsland Shire Council’s meeting

SOUTH Gippsland would be ruined forever if coal seam gas mining was permitted, protestors told South Gippsland Shire Council last Wednesday.

They claimed coal seam gas would cause cancer and ruin agriculture. Devastating bushfires would be inflamed by gas wells and mining could lead to earthquakes bigger than last Tuesday’s tremor. Communities would be split by pro and con camps.

More than 200 people filled council’s chambers during two public sessions, lobbying council to ask the State Government for a moratorium on the approval of coal seam gas exploration and mining licences in the shire.

Attention North Coasters!

On the weekend, Nationals leader Andrew Stoner described you as an "extremist" because of your opposition to the coal seam gas industry.

I'd like Mr Stoner to meet a few of the North Coast's "extremists" who, as we know, are mums and dads, young and old, business people and farmers, progressive and con...servative, students and academics, North Coast councils and politicians etc. etc.

I am looking for willing participants to be part of a story for Saturday's paper.

What I need from you:

- a head picture of yourself or to be available to have one done,
- a contact phone number and email, and
- short answers to a couple of profile questions (including how you voted last State election).

If you want to be part of it please contact me here at scott.harlum@northernstar.com.au

Thanks in advance.

Scott Harlum, Northern Star

International opposition to fracking

As people across Canada fight fracking in their communities, it is inspiring to know that there is a thriving international movement fighting fracking along side them. The following statement was signed by nearly 100 organizations from France, Spain, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and other countries around the world at the People's Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Statement of Anti-fracking groups at the Cupula Dos Povos - June 22nd 2012, Rio de Janeiro: For a Future without Fracking!

Gathered in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday 22nd June 2012 during the Peoples’ Summit, we, activists and campaigners engaged in the struggle against shale gas and shale coal and shale oil from around the world, including France, Spain, the United States, Canada (& Quebec), Australia, New Zealand and other countries, affirm our determination, our categorical opposition against all extraction of shale gas and shale oil and every use of hydraulic fracturing and other associated extractive industries such as frack-sand mining on our territories.

Rabble.ca

Metgasco resumes work

WORK by coal seam gas company Metgasco on a wastewater pond at Shannon Brook resumed yesterday - five days after a man chained himself to a bulldozer at the site.

Work stopped at the site about 7km south-west of Casino on Wednesday after East Lismore man Davey Bob Ramsay entered the site before dawn.

Mr Ramsay remained chained to the bulldozer until about 10.50am when he was removed by police.

Anti-coal seam gas protestors under the banner of Lock the Gate Northern Rivers have remained at the site since.

Northern Star

Tuesday, June 26

Coal-seam gas company access revoked

THE coal-seam gas industry has been put on notice to give landholders full information in land-access negotiations, after a Supreme Court judge found a central Queensland cattle grazier was denied procedural fairness when negotiating with a resource company.

In a case claimed as a precedent, judge Jean Dalton revoked gas company QGC's permission to gain access to the Eidsvold cattle property of Michael Baker, 64, finding the company did not provide adequate mapping for a pipeline easement until two days before public consultation ended.

Last February, negotiations stalled between Mr Baker and Queensland Gas Company, a subsidiary of international gas giant BG Group, over access for a 40m-wide strip dissecting Mr Baker's cattle property for a pipeline connecting the Surat Basin gasfields with a proposed CSG-to-LNG plant in Gladstone. After Mr Baker objected and an agreement was not reached, QGC applied for and won Queensland government approval.

The Australian

Landowner wins coal seam gas battle

The Supreme Court of Queensland has revoked a coal seam gas company's access rights to a Queensland cattle property. The Court ruled the company didn't give the landowner enough information about a pipeline planned for the property and changed its plans at the last minute. Rural lobby groups say it's a reminder to coal seam gas companies to respect landowners' rights... and provide the full information about what they're planning on their properties.

Click Here to Go to Audio

The World Today with Eleanor Hall

Lake council buys into Newcastle CSG debate

A motion opposing a coal seam gas project near Newcastle has prompted intense debate between Lake Macquarie Councillors.

Dart Energy has approval for test drilling at Fullerton Cove, prompting concerns about the contamination of drinking water.

Hunter water has moved to reassure residents by rejecting the concerns.

Last night Lake Macquarie Councillors supported a motion by Greens Councillor Phillipa Parsons expressing outrage over the proposal.

Councillors agreed to write to the Premier and will forward a copy of the letter to local State and Federal MP's.

Save Blacktown from CSG : Meeting

Coal giant in merger

GLOUCESTER Coal has merged with the Chinese-owned Yancoal Australia.

Today the miner will stop trading as Gloucester Coal on the Australian share market.

It will be replaced by Yancoal Australia from tomorrow.

Yancoal’s parent company Yanzhou Coal - China’s fourth-largest coal miner - will control 78 per cent of the new entity.

Talks between Gloucester Coal and Yanzhou began back in December last year.

The Supreme Court of Victoria approved the proposed merger between Gloucester Coal and Yancoal Australia last Wednesday.

The new entity will own 11 thermal and coking coal mines, both underground and open cut, mostly in NSW and Queensland and all but one of which is already operating.

The merger coincides with plans to extend both the Duralie and Stratford mines.

Gloucester Basin mines general manager Mike Smith said it was hoped approval for new mining projects at the two sites would occur in the next 18 months.

Gloucester Coal began mining at Stratford in 1995 and Duralie in 2003.

The merger is expected to be wholly finalised by July 6.

Weasel words

The Metgasco pond at Shannon Brook that is the subject of the current protest

METGASCO did not tell a parliamentary inquiry the company was disposing of coal seam gas wastewater at the Casino sewage treatment plant.

The Northern Star on June 13, revealed the company disposed of more than 1.3 million litres at the plant in the 10 months to March.

The company was told to stop the disposal after it was found to be in breach of the Richmond Valley Council's licence to operate the plant.

But Metgasco chief operating officer Michael O'Brien made no mention of the disposal when giving evidence to the NSW Government inquiry into coal seam gas on December 8.

Under questioning from Greens MLC Jeremy Buckingham, Mr O'Brien explained the company disposed of water in "above-ground holding ponds".

"The only way you deal with produced water and drilling fluids is to hold them in these ponds?" Mr Buckingham asked.

Injection Wells: The Poison Beneath Us

A class 2 brine disposal well in western Louisiana near the Texas border. The well sat by the side of the road, without restricted access. (Abrahm Lustgarten/ProPublica).

Over the past several decades, U.S. industries have injected more than 30 trillion gallons of toxic liquid deep into the earth, using broad expanses of the nation's geology as an invisible dumping ground.

No company would be allowed to pour such dangerous chemicals into the rivers or onto the soil. But until recently, scientists and environmental officials have assumed that deep layers of rock beneath the earth would safely entomb the waste for millennia.

There are growing signs they were mistaken.

Records from disparate corners of the United States show that wells drilled to bury this waste deep beneath the ground have repeatedly leaked, sending dangerous chemicals and waste gurgling to the surface or, on occasion, seeping into shallow aquifers that store a significant portion of the nation's drinking water.

In 2010, contaminants from such a well bubbled up in a west Los Angeles dog park. Within the past three years, similar fountains of oil and gas drilling waste have appeared in Oklahoma and Louisiana. In South Florida, 20 of the nation's most stringently regulated disposal wells failed in the early 1990s, releasing partly treated sewage into aquifers that may one day be needed to supply Miami's drinking water.

Monk flaming water bore

Three generations of the Monk family moved to a 5000 acre property.

At first things were great however after the CSG industry moved into the area things started to go bad, their water bore started spewing more gas then water and now has all but dried up. The bore used to supply a 1000ltrs an hour which was used in the house as well as to water all the stock on the property. No government department has yet to admit there is a problem even thought the water is now flammable.

Editor's Note: This is a MUST watch video people ...

Comet Ridge buys Petrel's PELs in Gunnedah Basin

Coal seam gas explorer, Petrel Energy, has sold its stake in three Petroleum Exploration Licences in the Gunnedah Basin to Comet Ridge, a joint venture partner with Santos.

Comet Ridge paid $750,000 for the three licences.

The licences are PEL 6, PEL 427 and PEL 428 in the northern Gunnedah Basin, which adjoin Santos' PEL 238 in the Pilliga and Leichhardt Resources' PEL 470 in the areas of Terry Hie Hie, Gurley and Bellata.

They cover a total area of 18,000 square kilometres.

Petrel's CEO, Russell Langusch, says his company is now expanding into overseas gas markets.

"We have divested of those PELs because our company is refocussing to the United States, where we have a shale gas project," he said.

Comet Ridge Managing Director, Tor McCaul, says Comet is now waiting for the New South Wales government to carry out its due diligence on the planned purchase.

It's anticipated approval will be granted in four to six weeks.

Monday, June 25

Stop CSG Blacktown Meeting

When: Friday 13th July, 2012 at 5.00pm
Where: Max Webber Library, Blacktown

Its been a couple of months since we've met, and now its looking more likely than ever that Blacktown will become the new home for a CSG well with campaigners being verbally told that Eastern Creek is the new target for Coal Seam Gas exploration, right by the Prospect Reservoir, better known as our drinking water.

Its time to band together once more, and to stop Coal Seam Gas from eroding our suburbs and security.

Hills councillors fire up over coal seam gas

HILLS Labor councillors have united to stop future coal seam gas mining in the Hills.

At last week's council meeting, Cr Barbara Burton called on the state government to stop the issue of exploration licences until proper regulations were in place.

"There was drilling in Dural in 1972 for coal seam gas and although it wasn't economic to miners then, supply and demand in Sydney will (soon) equalise," she said.

"From 2013 onwards demand for gas in Sydney will exceed supply."

"Electricity prices will go up and coal seam gas will become more attractive.

Cr Burton said drilling was taking place in Camden at 800m, and so fracking was possible in Dural at 1000m.

Hope QGC ruling will frame further negotiations

THE legal team representing an Eidsvold grazier against a State Government compulsory access order which would have forced construction of an LNG pipeline on his land say they hope a landmark ruling handed down in the Brisbane Supreme Court today will lead to resource companies rethinking how they conduct negotiations with landholders.

As previously reported in Queensland Country Life, Eidsvold landholder Michael Baker, Chess Park, Eidsvold, had challenged through the courts the criteria employed by former Bligh Government Mining Minister Stirling Hinchcliffe to grant a “Part 5 permission” order, which authorised coal seam gas company QGC to enter Mr Baker’s property and commence construction of their Queensland Curtis Liquefied Natural Gas pipeline without his consent.

In her ruling this morning, Supreme Court Justice Jean Dalton found the application for the Part 5 permission lodged by QGC was invalid.

Justice Dalton ruled Mr Baker had not been provided “procedural fairness” because QGC had provided insufficient information to the landholder about the Part 5 Permission application and the activities to occur on his land.

Creevey Russell Lawyers principal Dan Creevey, who acted on behalf of Mr Baker, said the ruling sends a clear message to all resource companies to respect the rights and interests of landholders affected by their projects.

In a statement to Queensland Country Life, QGC said it was considering the implications of the court decision.

QCL

No royalty holiday for coal seam gas producers

The State Government is set to introduce legislation to make sure coal seam gas companies pay royalties from the first day of production.

It has been called the 'royalty holiday' - coal seam gas producers exempt from paying royalties for the first five years of production.

But the holiday is over.

Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner told the National's Conference at Bowral on the weekend that the NSW Government will introduce legislation to ensure CSG extractors pay a royalty from day one of production.

New South Wales Farmers say this is a good step forward in the land use debate.

President Fiona Simson says a commissioner will bring some overdue rigour and independence to the assessment process.

ABC New England North West

Mining magnate Clive Palmer's push to dump tailings risk a to Great Barrier Reef

CRISIS: Yabulu refinery tailing ponds are dangerously high and (inset) Clive Palmer is desperate they be emptied into the sea. Source: The Courier-Mail

A COMPANY owned by Queensland's richest man, Clive Palmer, is seeking approval to dump millions of litres of contaminated water into the ocean off north Queensland in a move that could threaten the Great Barrier Reef.

The Courier-Mail understands a crisis is developing at the Palmer-owned Yabulu Nickel Refinery north of Townsville where tailing ponds are dangerously high and at risk of catastrophic failure.

The situation has developed over several years largely because of the wet weather.

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke is monitoring the situation.

Yabulu, owned by Queensland Nickel, recently requested the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority allow it to pump out the ponds for 370 days.

The water in the ponds is believed to equate with the treated sewage of a city of several million people.

Discussions with GBRMPA saw that request revised down to 40 days but Mr Palmer has continued to ask to dump all the tailing water immediately.

BHP commits to Illawarra coal mine

BHP Billiton has committed $833 million to opening a new mine at its Illawarra Coal business in NSW that will help it maintain production levels at its metallurgical coal unit.

The Appin Area 9 project in southern NSW will be operational in 2016 and will replace production at the west Cliff mine, the Melbourne-based company said in a statement.

BHP is the world's largest producer of steelmaking coal.

The decision to push ahead with the investment comes as BHP and other mining companies struggle with rising costs and falling prices for coal and other commodities, prompting them to re-evaluate their spending plans.

BHP earlier this year closed a metallurgical coal mine in Australia that had been losing money for several months.

BHP said the replacement mining area at its Appin mine, which is one of three underground coal mines that make up Illawarra Coal, will be able to produce 3.5 million tonnes of coal a year and will maintain the unit's annual output capacity at 9 million tonnes.

A deluge would be a disaster

THE State Government has found coal seam gas company Metgasco did not provide adequate freeboard in its wastewater holding ponds and has directed the company to draw down the levels.

"Freeboard" refers to the allowance between the top of the water in a pond and the point at which water would overflow.

On June 18 the government directed the company draw down the levels to accommodate "more than a one in 100 year rainfall event".

The finding comes on the back of breaches of the company's petroleum exploration licenses (PEL) revealed by the Northern Star last week.

In those cases in May the company was fined $5000 for failing to provide information about its wastewater disposal plans.

Gate blocked to Metgasco works

PROTESTERS are continuing to stop the construction of a CSG wastewater holding pond at Shannon Brook near Casino through an ongoing blockade.

As many as 30 protesters held the line at the weekend by blocking the entrance to the site.

A call has been put out to help maintain a vigil to prevent any further works and protesters say they have no plans to leave any time soon.

The activists say a Metgasco ute was seen arriving at the site about 6.40am yesterday, stopping about 100m from the protesters before turning and driving away.

Spokesman for the Richmond Valley Group Against Gas Dean Draper said there had been a groundswell of support for the blockade.

Illawarra CSG project frozen!

After weeks of enquiries and confusion around the status of the local coal seam gas project, Stop CSG Illawarra has finally received a clear statement from The Department of Planning and Infrastructure. They have confirmed that drilling cannot happen at this time.

Development consent for all CSG wells in the Illawarra – approval to drill and run them – is now invalid.

This outcome is the result of the extraordinary and tireless efforts of so many in the Illawarra community, standing together to stop CSG mining. It shows the strength of the campaign to date and marks a serious setback to the local project. It puts a freeze on the immediate threat of CSG development to the Nepean and Woronora drinking water catchments.

What the Government does now is a huge test. Will they reinstate the project in the face of enormous risk and community opposition?

Fifteen wells were approved for development in 2009, and a determination modified to include a sixteenth well in 2011. However, the determination [PDF] states that drilling and operation of the wells must take place before the expiry of one of two relevant licences, unless the director-general of the planning department steps in. The two relevant licences – PEL 442 and PEL 444 – expired in February and April this year, and PEL 442 has lapsed.

City and country united on value of agricultural land

NSW city and country dwellers think too much emphasis is being placed on mining and coal seam gas by the government, research released this week by NSW Farmers’ Association has found.

A Newspoll survey found 58 percent of respondents thought the NSW Government was putting too much emphasis on satisfying the interests of extractive industries compared with about 1 percent who said too much emphasis was placed on farmers.

The survey also revealed that 88 percent were either strongly in favour or somewhat in favour of parts of NSW’s agricultural land being reserved from mining and coal seam gas.

Approximately 50 percent thought that more than half of the state’s food-producing land should be reserved for agriculture while one in four believed more than 90 percent should be set aside solely for agriculture. Under proposed new land use policies, the NSW Government has not earmarked any farm land to be excluded from mining or coal seam gas activities.

NSW Farmers’ President, Fiona Simson, said she was genuinely surprised by the depth of feeling across the state.

Read More

The Bellingen Shire Courier Sun

LNP moves to sooth farmers' mining tensions

ELIZABETH JACKSON: Angry Queensland farmers say they're being ignored while governments pander to multibillion dollar mine projects. The Queensland Government recently announced two railway corridors would criss-cross central Queensland grazing properties to get coal to ports. Under the plan, land could be taken but farmers say the railways will disrupt floodplains and harm production.

Annie Guest reports from Brisbane.

ANNIE GUEST: In the battle of cattle versus coal, the latter is king according to central Queensland grazier John Burnett.

JOHN BURNETT: Central Queensland is presently in the grip of a devastating avalanche of development.

We have landholders who are being impacted by the biggest development proposals in Australia bar none.

ANNIE GUEST: His property is among those earmarked for some of the $8 billion in rail lines.

Read More and Listen to Audio

AM with Tony Eastley

Friday, June 22

Rinehart puts $5m into Queensland coal project

GINA Rinehart has taken time out from stalking Fairfax Media and returned to the mining patch to make a $5 million investment in Queensland coking coal hopeful International Coal, The Australian's Barry Fitzgerald writes.

The farm-in agreement with the junior company could enable Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting to earn an eventual 51 per cent in coal tenements, said to have an "exploration target" of 280 million tonnes to 370 million tonnes of coal. ICX shares gained 0.5c a share to 26.5c.

Iron ore in the Pilbara is Rinehart's main interest, but Queensland coal is growing in importance thanks to the proposed $6.4 billion Alpha coal project joint venture with India's GVK. The Alpha mine has become a testing ground for federal versus state powers in environmental approvals for resources projects, with federal Environment Minister Tony Burke at odds with an earlier approval of the project by the Queensland government.

The Australian

Marrickville council backs away from allowing a poll on coal seam gas

Labor and independent councillors in Marrickville decided on June 19 against holding a poll on coal seam gas at the same time as the local council elections.

This is despite the fact that the council has had two unanimous votes against coal seam gas exploration.

Non-binding polls are available to all councils and have been used to gauge community opinion on a variety of topics.

Greens councillor Cathy Peters put the urgency motion, inspired by Lismore City Council’s decision to poll its local residents about coal seam gas production and exploration.

Lismore has been at the centre of many rallies and protests against coal seam gas, but the council wanted a more scientific measure of community opinion.

Marrickville council's general manager said there were enough budget funds to call on the NSW Electoral Commission to conduct the poll.

Peters' motion was moved as an urgency motion because the general manager said council needed time to prepare the “yes” and the “no” case to the question: “Do you support coal seam gas (CSG) exploration and production in the Marrickville Local Government area?”

Three activists from Stop CSG Sydney spoke in favour of the motion.

Expo boss confronts activist

Protester Robert Ghysen with his sign yesterday outside the Surat basin Energy and Mining Expo

A LONE protester at the Surat Basin Energy and Mining Expo yesterday was involved in an ugly confrontation with event organiser Bob Carroll.

Robert Ghysen set up a peaceful protest outside the expo perimeter on Glenvale Rd when he was confronted by an irate Mr Carroll.

In the ensuring confrontation, which was witnessed by The Chronicle, Mr Carroll accused Mr Ghysen of being a "!*?**** dole bludger" and said if he did not move on "he would drag him away himself".

A visibly shaken Mr Ghysen, who is a senior radiographer at Toowoomba Hospital, said it was his democratic right to protest under Australian law.

"I have every right to be here as much as anyone else.

"The whole situation was extremely offensive.

"Just because he does not hold the same views as me does not give him the right to bully and threaten me."

BHP to open new mine at Illawarra Coal

BHP Billiton has committed $US845 million ($A832.47 million) to opening a new mine at its Illawarra Coal business in NSW.

BHP will build a new mining area at Appin Mine to replace production at its West Cliff Mine, the company said on Friday.

The new mining area is expected to be operational in 2016.

"The investment sustains Illawarra Coal's production rates and recognises the value of its high quality metallurgical coal resources," BHP metallurgical coal president Hubie van Dalsen said in a statement.

"It is also good news for local jobs and the economy in the region."

9 News

Editor's Note: Good News?

Our right to safe water

Current safeguards around CSG extraction are inadequate, says Jennifer Elliott — and contamination of drinking and irrigation water has already occurred in NSW and Queensland.

Environmental degradation at an unfinished CSG well near Collinsville (Qld)

WHEN THE Australian Constitution was written by the founding fathers in 1901, the majority of legislative powers were vested in the States.

The powers with regard to mining, mineral and petroleum exploration are under the control of State Governments. The Federal Government has signed and ratified various International Treaties, Covenants and Conventions. None of these protects us against the pollution of our existing safe drinking, domestic and stock water by mining companies.

The State Government’s Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1977 Part 5.3 Section 120 (Prohibition of pollution of waters) makes water pollution an offence. This can be very difficult to enforce, because of the onerous burden of evidence required. How can one prove that water has been polluted by a company, on a specific day, if no water test was undertaken by an authorised body which declared the water pristine on the previous day? In Section 122 (Defence of authority conferred by licence):

‘It is a defence in proceedings against a person, for an offence under this Part, if the person establishes that: (a) the pollution was regulated by an environment protection licence held by the person or another person, and, (b) the conditions to which that licence was subject, relating to the pollution of waters, were not contravened.’

So the fact that a licence has been granted can be used as a defence, even if that licence does not have adequate provisions for safeguards. These appear to be loopholes. We could argue for and against the virtues of this Act until the cows come home, but the fact remains they won’t if their drinking water becomes polluted.

'Toxic pond' infuriates protesters

Protesters Philippe Dupuy and Martina Cabrera with shovels at the ready as they talk with Scott Sledge(foreground) at Shannonbrook, about 7km south west of Casino, where coal seam gas company Metgasco is constructing a holding pond.

THE State Government has been accused of playing "word games" to justify a lack of action to stop coal seam gas evaporation ponds being built in the state.

Lock the Gate Northern Rivers spokeswoman Boudicca Cerese made the claim yesterday as a protest continued at a site at Shannonbrook.

The site, about 7km south west of Casino, is home to an existing pond as well as one being constructed by coal seam gas company Metgasco.

An activist was arrested at the site Wednesday after chaining himself to a bulldozer.
About 60 protesters returned yesterday to take matters into their own hands, shovelling dirt into the pond under construction.

The group believe Metgasco is operating its holding ponds as evaporation ponds which have been banned by the State Government.

Read More and Watch Video

Northern Star

Thursday, June 21

Protesters back at Metgasco site

About 100 coal seam gas opponents are back at a Metgasco work site near Casino

Anti coal seam gas protesters at a Metgasco work site near Casino (CSG Free Northern Rivers - Submitted)

Protesters are back at a Metgasco work site at Shannonbrook, near Casino.

A Lismore man was arrested and charged with trespass yesterday after he chained himself to a bulldozer.

Metgasco, which is exploring for coal seam gas in the area, is digging a water storage dam on the site.

Ian Gaillard, from the Northern Rivers branch of the Lock the Gate Alliance, says opponents of the industry are armed with shovels and prepared to fill in the dam.

"People are concerned, they will take action," he said.

"I think it's a light-hearted move, people are here with their shovels and we'll see what happens."

Meanwhile, the State Government says the Richmond Valley Council gave Metgasco approval for the waste water pond.

Read More

ABC North Coast NSW

Australia: Dredging to Blame for Gladstone Port Environmental Crisis?

New research released yesterday shows dredging is to blame for Gladstone Harbour’s environmental crisis, and should prompt the federal government to finally step in and protect the World Heritage listed area and the communities which rely upon it.

“Gladstone Ports Corporation keeps claiming that tides or the flood is to blame for the harbour’s toxic muddiness – yet this JCU report shows dredging is the cause of the 35km plume of industrial sediment into the World Heritage area stirred up from the harbour floor,” said Australian Greens environment spokesperson, Senator Larissa Waters.

“It is long past time for the federal government to protect this World Heritage area and halt the dredging program to investigate and address the harbour’s problems.

“Turbidity levels are on track to be breached again in the next couple of days, as they are each fortnight, and the federal government must enforce these water quality conditions which the state government keeps ignoring.

“What will it take for the federal government to actually protect World Heritage Areas instead of letting coal seam gas exports destroy the Great Barrier Reef with dredging, dumping, shipping and climate change?” said Senator Waters.

Dredging Today

State Government's Response To Concerns Over Cason Waste Water Ponds

The Hon Chris Hartcher
Minister for Resources and Energy
Special Minister for State
Minister for the Central Coast

Wednesday 20 June 2012

STATEMENT ON METGASCO

The O’Farrell Government has banned the use of evaporation ponds for coal seam gas production.

No coal seam gas evaporation ponds of any type have been approved by the Government since it came to power.

Comments from certain sections of the community refer to a pond which was recently approved by Richmond Valley Council and is currently under construction by Metgasco.

Council is entitled to approve the construction of dams.

The Division of Resource and Energy has advised Metgasco that should it wish to use the dam for CSG activities, it will need further approval from the Division.

Metgasco’s activities remain within the law.

NBN News

Methanex may fire up idle Waitara plant : NZ

Methanex is looking to refire the Waitara Valley methanol plant within the next 12 months, bringing its operations back to full capacity for the first time in a decade.

On a visit to New Zealand from Vancouver yesterday, Methanex Corporation chief executive Bruce Aitken told the Taranaki Daily News there was a "very high" probability Methanex would restart the Waitara Valley plant, which has sat idle since 2008.

A final decision would be made by the end of the year, he said.

"We spend hundreds of millions of dollars running these plants so we need to make a good decision," Aitken said.

He added he wanted Methanex's two Waitara methanol facilities operating at full capacity – which hasn't been seen since 2003.

"That's what they've done in the past and that's what we plan to do in the future."

If the Waitara Valley plant did begin production again methanol output would be about 500,000 tonnes annually and up to 50 jobs would be created, Aitken said.

Methanex employs about 160 people at its Motunui facility.

Santos attempts to hide failures from public

Evaporation ponds for 'produced' (salty, toxic) water in the Pilliga. Photo: Chris Daley

Questions are being asked as to what Santos has to hide after the company objected to the release of 34 documents relating to their coal seam gas operations in the Pilliga Forest, near Narrabri in north-western NSW.

In March 2012, we applied under freedom of information laws for access to documents relating to the Santos coal seam gas operations in the Pilliga Forest.

We have now been informed that Santos has objected to the release of 34 of the 41 documents covered by the application.

"By objecting to the public release of these coal seam gas documents, Santos is acting as if they have something to hide," said Naomi Hogan, our Newcastle based campaigner.

The list of documents Santos are trying to hide from public view have illustrative titles such as 'EDA Rig Spill', 'Blow Out Fluid Loss of Control', ‘Santos Incidence Report’ and 'ESG Drill Fluid Release ICAM Report'.

The documents Santos are trying to keep hidden appear to relate to a series of environmental failures with their coal seam gas operations in the Pilliga Forest - failures which the community has every right to know about.

Greens applaud southwest mine rejection

West Australian Greens MLA Giz Watson has applauded a move by the state's Mining Warden's Court to reject three bauxite exploration licenses in the tourist-haven southwest region.

Perth-based Bauxite Resources, which has already been granted exploration licenses over 59 tenements in the state's southwest, said on Tuesday its application for three additional licences between the towns of Bridgetown and Manjimup had been rejected by a mining warden.

The warden had recommended to WA Mines and Petroleum Minister Norman Moore the applications be refused.

9 News

Media Release : Northern Rivers Guardians

Media Release 21st June 2012

100 PROTESTORS RETURN, ACCUSING GOVERNMENT OF 'WORD GAMES' ON TOXIC CSG PONDS

More than 100 protestors have returned this morning to the site where a coal seam gas wastewater pond is being constructed by Metgasco, west of Casino in northern NSW.

The protestors have brought shovels and say they are prepared to fill in the ugly hole that the NSW Government has allowed Metgasco to dig on the edge of the Casino floodplain.

Yesterday 70 protestors attended the site and stopped work for the day, with one a man attaching himself to a bulldozer that was constructing the pond. He was taken to Casino police station and later charged with trespass and failure to comply with a police direction.

""The response from the NSW Minister for Resources and Energy, Chris Hartcher, to our concerns yesterday was an abysmal attempt to pass the buck to the local council" said Boudicca Cerese, spokesperson for Lock the Gate Northern Rivers.

"The Minister tried to split hairs about the difference between an evaporation pond and a holding pond, but no-one is buying it - a toxic pond is a toxic pond and we don't want them.

"The community is not going to stand by and see wastewater ponds proliferating rapidly across our region while the NSW Government plays word games to justify their inaction.

"Management of coal seam gas wastewater in the region is a ticking time bomb that represents a real risk to our floodplains, waterways and farmland.

"It is clear from the Ministers' statement yesterday that the NSW Government intends to allow widespread use of wastewater 'holding ponds' across NSW and the Northern Rivers.

"We have returned here today to send a message that we consider such an outcome unacceptable and we feel the NSW Government has misled the community on its policies by constantly spruiking their so-called 'ban' on evaporation ponds.

"The protest which has occurred this week is the historic beginning of peaceful direct action in our region against a coal seam gas industry which has no social licence to operate.

"If the NSW Government continues with its weak and misleading policies on coal seam gas then they can expect a lot more of this type of action" she said.

Information or comment: Boudicca Cerese 0431 513 546 Ian Gaillard 0431 108 784

ASX Announcement : Comet Ridge Limited

COMET RIDGE ADDS TO GUNNEDAH BASIN ACREAGE POSITION

* Comet Ridge is paying A$750,000 for Petrel Energy’s interests in PEL 6, PEL 427 and PEL 428

* Existing CSG interests in PEL 427 and PEL 428 increased to 50% and 60% respectively

* Prospective PEL 6 block added to Comet Ridge portfolio

Coal seam gas explorer Comet Ridge Limited (ASX:COI) is pleased to announce that it has signed an Asset Sale Agreement for the acquisition of Petrel Energy Limited’s interests in PEL 6, PEL 427 and PEL 428 in the Gunnedah Basin in northern New South Wales. Comet Ridge will acquire these petroleum licences from Petrel Energy for A$750,000 cash.

These three contiguous licences are located in the northern Gunnedah Basin, immediately north and west of Santos’ Narrabri CSG Project, and cover a total area of approximately 18,000 km

Read More
2. Prior to this transaction Comet Ridge held a 25% interest in PEL 427 and a 40% interest in PEL 428. This transaction further consolidates Comet Ridge’s position in the northern Gunnedah Basin.
* Santos holds remaining interests, as a result of its acquisition of Eastern Star Gas in 2011

Australia has failed to protect Great Barrier Reef, says United Nations report

Development in Queensland is out of control and has put the Great Barrier Reef at risk, the United Nations report says. Source: Supplied

A UNITED Nations report has declared Australia had failed to properly protect the Great Barrier Reef and called for a panel of overseas experts to review the natural wonder and safeguard its future.

Development in Queensland was out of control and about 35 projects scheduled for approval in the next year had put the Reef at further risk, according to a report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

In the report, a detailed and sometime scathing version of a draft released earlier this month, UNESCO says urgent measures must be taken to protect the World Heritage Area and warns against any further development before a critical assessment is completed by 2015.

The Courier Mail

Wednesday, June 20

How will CSG manage the salt time-bomb?

One of the most significant unresolved questions as coal seam gas wells expand rapidly across eastern Australia is how the industry will deal with the huge volumes of salt it produces.

CSG production involves removing water from coal seams to free-up trapped gases. The water typically contains high quantities of salt which has to be managed in an environmentally acceptable way once brought to the surface.

Community groups have long been concerned that CSG companies are being granted environmental approvals to proceed by Governments eager to generate royalty flows and new jobs before they have solid plans in place to deal with the contaminated water and salt their developments will produce.

After studying the Environmental Impact Statement of Arrow Energy’s Surat Gas Project in Southern Queensland, Darling Downs landholder and rural community group Save Our Darling Downs says it is clear the company has “no idea” about how to handle the vast tonnages of salt it will generate.

Arrow Energy has rejected the criticism, stating that it is committed to removing all produced salt from the local landscape, and that it is considering several options to to deal with the problem.

Save our Darling Downs says figures contained in Arrow Energy’s EIS show that the company plans to pump around 770 gigalitres of water from the region’s coal seams – one and half times the volume of Sydney Harbour – which will contain 3.5 million tonnes of salt.

The group says the options being considered by Arrow, which include ‘disposal to watercourses’ and ‘ocean outfall’ (pumping the water to the ocean), would have serious environmental implications.

The use of reverse osmosis to allow “beneficial re-use” of water is also cited, but the group points out that this is not a workable solution to handle the massive volumes of water involved.

Seventy activists blockade CSG site

Protestors blockade a Metgasco coal seam gas site near Casino where they claim a banned evaporation pond is being constructed.

ABOUT seventy activists have blockaded a coal seam gas site near Casino protesting the construction of a wastewater holding pond on the edge of a floodplain.

Local musician and fourth-generation resident, Davey Bob Ramsay, chained himself to a bulldozer at dawn this morning to "highlight the threats posed by CSG wastewater to land and water in the Richmond Valley".

The police rescue squad cut Mr Ramsay free at about 10.50am to cheers from the crowd including chants of "On you Davey Bob" and "Go bloody Ramsay".

Police have taken Mr Ramsay into custody but have yet to charge him.

Lock the Gate Alliance Northern Rivers spokesperson Boudicca Cerese said the group is calling on the NSW Government to honour its promise to ban evaporation ponds 12 months ago.

Qld farmers and miners in $250b title fight

QUEENSLAND'S farmers are locked in a battle with miners over access to grazing land in the hunt for more coal and mineral reserves.

The state could blow its $250 billion mining boom unless the impasse can be broken, a report warns.

The top-secret Land Access Review Panel report, obtained exclusively by The Courier-Mail, highlights the dilemma facing the Newman Government to stop Queensland's multibillion-dollar mining boom going bust.

The top-level report, commissioned by the previous state government and now in the hands of the Newman Government, reveals Queensland's red tape burden is making it "difficult to impossible" for resource explorers to do business.

But it also warns farmers are under siege from a tidal wave of mining exploration.