Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In January 2013 I visited Chinchilla and its surrounding districts in Queensland. I was there to talk to and to look at the CSG industry, which was quite developed in the region. I spoke to many people the day I was there. I spoke to gas workers, shopkeepers, land owners and community members. I came away from that visit very concerned about the suitability of the industry for the Northern Rivers region where I live. There are, at the very least, questions about air and water quality issues, and also the effects of the industrialisation it brings. There is much piping, there are obviously gas wells, compression plants and much, much more.

I tried to envision what the industry would physically look like in my region. In the Chinchilla region, where I visited, land is measured in the thousands of acres. In my area, land owning is measured in the hundreds of acres. I could not see that the industry could work without being extremely invasive and, given the nature of our topography and small land ownings, that it could not work without being exceptionally detrimental to neighbouring properties. I came back from that visit stating that I did not believe the industry was suitable for my region.

In my first speech in parliament 18 months ago, I stated the National's policy is:

… that water and prime agricultural land, as well as built-up areas, need to be protected from CSG mining. I believe, and in my opinion, so does the majority of my community, that given current extraction techniques this policy currently rules out the electorate of Page from CSG mining.

Since then much has happened. I applauded the action of my National state colleagues in suspending Metgasco's drilling program at Bentley last year. There would have been 6,000 to 7,000 people willing to stop a drill going on to a property in my area. One thousand police would have been needed to get that drill on the property because of people's concerns in my region about the impacts of the CSG industry. I am extremely disappointed by the decision of the New South Wales Supreme Court a number of weeks ago to squash the suspension of the drilling program issued to Metgasco by the New South Wales government. I have spoken to my state colleagues and know that they are looking for avenues to appeal this decision. They are also looking to buy back another PEL 445.

I believe that my role here is to represent my community. My community has spoken; I have listened. I will support my state colleagues in doing anything we can to keep the Northern Rivers coal seam gas free.