tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708428768586378687.post6168901229143606237..comments2023-08-04T01:53:37.373+10:00Comments on Evacuation Grounds: Watch for the 1,999 hectare footprintsGeoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16952473688008286364noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708428768586378687.post-81835808288267540432013-12-18T06:58:23.790+10:002013-12-18T06:58:23.790+10:00The approvals process for mining and Coal Seam gas...The approvals process for mining and Coal Seam gas may be long and unwieldy. Stripping away green tape and red tape should always be an aim of governments.<br />Having said that, Australia’s water resources are far too important not to be thoroughly scrutinised at several levels. <br />The fast-tracking of mining and CSG projects will lead to unforseen or downplayed consequences which will prove to be a problem in the long term.<br />The media has portrayed the issue of whether the power to delegate all approvals, including water approvals to the States as a battle between big business and environmental groups. The “community” may get some consideration. However, everyone, including the Productivity Commission is ignoring the long term need for a reliable source of water for agriculture.<br />The intent of the legislation is shown in the link below.<br />http://www.environment.gov.au/legislation/environment-protection-and-biodiversity-conservation-act/what-protected/water-resources<br /> The central illustration in the article above shows at least ten private water bores that are subject to “make good” provisions. This would, I believe be in addition to those which are inside the tenement area and covered by the legislation. <br />“Make good” will certainly be better than no arrangement but its ease of use and efficiency is yet to be tested. We are yet to see whether effects on bores will be widespread or not, but widespread dependence on external water sources will not be tenable in the long term.<br />Property Rights Australia has always maintained that there is no external substitute that is equal to a reliable source of clean underground water which is suitable for purpose.<br />If it comes to a situation where water tables are dropping rapidly and problems are all too obvious there needs to be some authority to order a “stop work” until the problems are solved. This may very well be an action that is never required but gaps in the effectiveness of regulation will become obvious as time goes by. There needs to be authority to plug the gap rapidly. Already we have seen some examples of cases where regulation has not been up to the job of protecting everyone’s interest. <br />Jo Reahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10590878964810922383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708428768586378687.post-47688577071171361842013-12-17T16:34:01.288+10:002013-12-17T16:34:01.288+10:00It now appears that the CSG/LNG companies delibera...It now appears that the CSG/LNG companies deliberately grossly understated the amount of wells that they intended to drill so that it would not look as bad as it really will be.<br />Now that they have their approvals for the original number, they are now trying to get the "real" number needed (that they did not previously declare) to make their gas extraction viable.<br />If they were so inept that they could not determine how many wells were needed prior to approval, then let them now, go whistle dixie for any above the original number that was apparently their estimated requirement and which was deliberately understated. (Their Quote from above)<br />“BG Group is seeking environmental approval to drill an additional 400 coal seam gas wells near Wandoan to help maintain gas flows to its $US20.4 billion LNG export project in Queensland once production from the initial batch of wells starts to tail off.”<br />It appears from this statement that they knew that there would be insufficient for the future in the original approval but they chose to fudge the figures for the purpose of getting the approval. This in effect hid from the property owners concerned the real impact that they intended inflicting all along.<br />They appeared to be quite sure how many wells they would need in their application, now they say that there is not enough to carry on into the future. In other words they deliberately withheld the real facts and now that they have got what they originally asked for, they want to change all of the rules and get more by default.<br />This is only the Wandoan area. How many more of the CSG/LNG companies throughout the entire Gasfields, deliberately gave understated estimates in their original applications to get to an irreversible situation so that they could then seek to get perhaps thousands more CSG wells as BG group have now done.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11495780706478301480noreply@blogger.com