A group of 218 western area community members concerned about how proposed gas exploration of the Yathong-Ivanhoe and Neckarboo Troughs would affect their future attended a community meeting in Ivanhoe last week.
Department of Planning representatives Mike Young (Executive Director of Energy, Industry and Compliance), Matthew Riley (Director of Energy and Resource Policy) and Kate Leischke (Senior Policy Officer for Energy and Re-sources) addressed the meeting of YINAA (Yathong-Ivanhoe Neckarboo Aquifer Alliance) and community members at the Ivanhoe Hall last Tuesday.
The meeting was called by YINNA so that the sentiment of the community would go on record regarding their views on the Far West Gas Exploration Proposal.
Many community members had expressed their dissatisfaction, frustration and anxiety relating to the consultation process to date.
Cobar Shire Councillor Bob Sinclair was among those who attended the meeting.
“There were people from a wide area including some from Hillston, across to Booligal and back over to the Balranald Road, some attendees were from the Cobar Shire (including myself) and also a chap came from up Gunnedah way,” Cr Sinclair reported.
He said the community were united in their stance against the gas exploration proposal with many landholders concerned as to what would happen to their water tables.
“There were a lot of good questions and concerns raised,” Cr Sinclair said.
“There’s some very big organic lamb producers in this area wondering about how their ‘organic’ status will be affected on their properties.”
Cr Sinclair said questions were also raised about how gas exploration would affect biosecurity on their properties.
“The other big concern was the supply of water in the towns like Ivanhoe which pumps a lot of their water from bores and can only obain access to water from Wylandra Creek when it gets a flow.”
Cr Sinclair said the general consensus from the meeting was that local landholders strongly opposed the proposed exploration.
The meeting called for the Yathong-Ivanhoe and Neckarboo Troughs to be removed from the proposal.
Three motions came from the meeting.
The group moved they would not accept
any risk to any surface and underground
water supplies that are critical to supplying
any town and residential water, stock and
domestic water, and water for the purposes
of irrigation.
The group also moved that they won’t accept
any harm or risk to Aboriginal heritage
and cultural significance, roads and infrastructure,
livestock disruption and losses, bio
-security threats, insurance and public liability,
policies and any cause for potential mental
health cases.
The meeting was also unanimous in protecting
each other, and vowed not to allow
individuals to be singled out, would not allow
their future to be negotiated, and they
will not consider any proposal that could
potentially ruin the country for all future
generations.
They called for the gas proposal to be halted
and said they were “prepared to fight for
as long as it takes” to stop it going ahead.
State Member for Barwon Roy Butler said
he was pleased with the meeting turn out.
“Through my efforts and those of the community,
the Public Servants from the Department
of Planning finally showed up out
west,” Mr Butler said.
“They were given a clear message from the
community in the form of a motion.
“This is a great start,” he said.
