Dear Friends
Thank you
to everyone who came along to the ‘farmers and friends against fracking’ rally
last Sunday.
As you
know, our petition was one of the ones handed in to Greens MP Greg Barber on
the 18th.
The Energy
Minister is feeling the pressure (and
came out in the media the next day to counter the rally and say that
‘he is open to discussion on fracking’.)
However,
he has still not organised the community consultation he keeps promising.
Please
email or call his office, asking
him to engage with the community as a matter of urgency. Tell him that there
should be no on-shore exploration or production of gas until we know whether it
will be safe for people, water supplies and farming. Ask him to initiate a
public inquiry into this matter.
A phone
call has the most impact: (03) 9651 1156
But an
email is good too:
Hon Nicholas KotsirasMinister for
Energy and Resourcesnicholas.kotsiras@parliament.vic.gov.au,
Please
remember, we have a monthly email newsletter, if you’d like to stay in the loop
on what we are doing, please email cam.walker@foe.org.au with the
words SUBSCRIBE CLIMATE in the subject line
Regards
Cam Walker
Friends of
the Earth
CONTENTS
· Farmers and friends against fracking
rally
· Lakes Oil in Western VIC
· Coal export facility on 90 Mile
Beach?
· Local meetings: Yarragon,
Drouin, Catani
· Getting involved
Farmers
and friends against fracking
There is a
great set of photos on the Quit Coal facebook page:
Lakes Oil
– western VIC
Lakes Oil
have been quietly drilling for gas in western Victoria under petroleum
exploration permits PEP163 andPEP169.
These were
issued under the Petroleum act for 'tight gas', not the MRSD Act which is used
for Coal Seam Gas (CSG). One permit allows for 3 wells and to 'frack' one, the
other permit for one well, drilling only.
These
sites are near Timboon and north of Peterborough (PEP 169)and a broad area from
Aireys Inlet up towards Winchelsea and across to Geelong, then down through the
Bellarine Peninsula (PEP 163).
If you
live in either of these areas and want to help stop Lakes Oil, please get in
touch. Cam.walker@foe.org.au
We are
hoping to hold an info session in Torquay shortly.
Further
info here.
Coal
export facility on 90 Mile Beach?
It has
recently come to light that “a $3 billion rail line and port concept connecting
the Latrobe Valley to the Bass Straight via a port at McGauran's Beach on the
Ninety Mile Beach …is … the preferred export route by developers of alternative
brown coal technologies”.
In May
2013, the Victorian government said that it wanted to see development of ‘next
generation’ coal mines in the Latrobe Valley. An export industry will need new
mines, new roads, new infrastructure and new ports.
So far,
the Port of Hastings and Port Anthony have been suggested as possible locations
for export infrastructure. A proposal for 90 Mile Beach seems particularly
crazy.
We will be
launching a campaign shortly, but in the meantime, check here for further
details on what is proposed:http://www.melbourne.foe.org.au/?q=node/1257
Local
events
Below is a
list of some of the other upcoming events/meetings in Gippsland. If you have
been thinking of getting more involved, WE NEED YOU, please come along to any
of the gatherings below, everyone is welcome!
Meet the
Candidates Coal & Gas Forum
When:
Wednesday the 28th August @ 7pm
Where:
Yarragon Public Hall, Campbell St, Yarragon
All known
candidates in the McMillian electorate have been invited.
For more
information email: bbsn@dcsi.net.au
Friday
30th August, 7pm
Drouin CSG
Information Meeting
@ The
Drouin South Hall, Drouin-Korumburra road
Speakers:
Dr Gavin Mudd (Groundwater Specialist), Felicity Millner (Environment Defenders
Office)
and Dr
Merryn Reddenbach (Doctors for the Environment)
Catani CSG
Information Night
When: Wednesday
11th September @ 7pm
Where:
Catani Football Club, Taplins road, Catani
Speakers
Include: Ariane Wilkinson (Environment Defenders Office) &
Allison
Sable (Seaspray Local)
For more
info call Gillian on 0418 995 756
Getting
involved
NO CSG IN
VICTORIA
Friends of
the Earth facebook:
Quit
Coal:
FoE
website:
To support our work, please check here:
Campaigns co-ordinator
Friends of the Earth
Box 222, Fitzroy, 3065
Ph: 03 9419 8700 (ext 20)
M: 0419 338 047
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