Pressure is mounting on the state government to declare the Riverina a coal seam gas exclusion zone in the lead-up to the state election, with Michael McCormack reiterating his resolve to protect the region from CSG development.
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It comes as high-profile Mangoplah farmer Don Kirkpatrick last week called on political figures to show leadership on the issue for the protection of one of Australia’s most productive agricultural regions.
“I’d like to see an exclusion zone placed around the Riverina,” Mr McCormack, the Riverina MP, said.
“I would sooner see us do what we do best, which is producing the best food and the best fibre for the nation.
“I think, certainly, no CSG development should proceed if it poses a risk to groundwater or surrounding communities.”
Premier Mike Baird goes into the state election with a freeze on CSG exploration applications.
However, the moratorium contains a “sunset clause”, meaning the freeze is to be lifted in the back half of this year.
There is council-imposed blanket ban on CSG mining in the Wagga local government area.
It was imposed during a fraught debate on CSG mining that took hold last year following Grainger Energy’s lodgement of multiple exploration license applications to the state government.
The bid was knocked back by the state government and prompted a crackdown on dubious applications from start-up enterprises.
Wagga City Councillor Paul Funnell led the charge to impose the moratorium.
On Tuesday, as Councillor Funnell announced his candidature to run for the seat of Wagga as an independent, he said the moratorium had an expiry date “until such time they can prove beyond reasonable doubt CSG is safe”.
“I’d like to see it permanently locked out and part of the onus is on industry and government to prove that it is safe,” Cr Funnell said.
“We are flirting with danger. We are risking the contamination of groundwater.”
The Hunter region in northern NSW is the only declared CSG exclusion zone in the state.
Cr Funnell was baffled when asked why he thought the Riverina was not already declared a CSG exclusion zone.
“That it the perfect question,” he said.
“We don't have the rich and famous connections to industries such as horse racing.
“But Wagga is the gateway to the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA).
“We appear to be in the background, so who determines where the prime agricultural land is?
“We’ve missed out.”
