NSW State Election 2015
Window Of Opportunity Responses
1. Do you personally support the desire of the regional community for the Northern Rivers to remain gasfield free?
Labor:
Isaac Smith, Limsore: I will personally support the desire of the regional community for the Northern Rivers to remain gasfield free
Paul Spooner, Ballina: Yes, I do support the desire of the regional community to remain Gasfield Free. The environment of the region should be protected for current and future generations. It is not appropriate to turn the region into an industrial mining landscape. The protection of the region from CSG should be a priority for all levels of government.
Ron Goodman, Tweed: Yes, wholeheartedly.
Trent Gilbert, Clarence: Absolutely. I believe this industry poses some large risks to the viability and the vitality of our region, risks that at this point in time should be avoided in any way possible until we are absolutely sure that this industry is not only safe but beneficial for all those who call the Northern Rivers home.
GREENS:
Adam Guise, Lismore: I wholeheartedly support a Gasfield Free Northern Rivers. This is demonstrated by my commitment over the last 3 years actively campaigning to protect our region from invasive gas drilling. My work with Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham and Lock the Gate Alliance as Regional Coordinator shows my commitment to keeping our region gasfield free. As someone who loves this region, I will fight to protect our precious water and farmland from industrialised gasfields.
Andrea Vickers, Tweed: As a committed advocate for community self determination and ‘real democracy’, I stand behind the Northern Rivers community 100% in its firm stance on keeping this region gasfield free.
Tamara Smith, Ballina: My family has lived in the northern rivers region for 4 generations (over 120 years). I am unconditionally opposed to coal seam mining, tight sands mining and fracking in the northern rivers and deeply committed to ensuring that the Northern Rivers remains gasfield free to protect our tourism, agriculture and service industries, as well as our unique ecosystems and water catchments. I attended the Bentley blockade over 2014 to help protect our land and water from this invasive industry.
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2. If re-elected will you undertake to formally support legislation to cancel, buy back or otherwise extinguish all existing exploration and production licenses for unconventional gas in the Northern Rivers?
Labor:
Isaac Smith, Lismore: I will you undertake to formally support legislation to cancel, buy back or otherwise extinguish all existing exploration and production licenses for unconventional gas in the Northern Rivers
Paul Spooner, Ballina: Yes, I am committed to ensure all necessary legislation is in place to cancel, buy back or otherwise extinguish exploration and production licenses for unconventional gas in the Northern Rivers.
Ron Goodman, Tweed: Labor will declare a ban on coal seam gas (CSG) activities and unconventional gas exploration in the Northern Rivers region. Labor will not allow new CSG exploration licenses, will refuse to grant CSG extraction licenses, reject renewals of existing licences and refuse any applications to expand existing operations.
Trent Gilbert, Clarence: If I am elected I will support legislation to cancel, buy back or otherwise extinguish all existing exploration and production licenses for unconventional gas in the Northern Rivers.
GREENS:
Adam Guise, Lismore: If elected my first action in office would be to move legislation to cancel all licences across the Northern Rivers. This is what the community demands and has spent the last 4 years campaigning for. The Petroleum (Onshore) Act provides a number of avenues for cancelling or not renewing licences, with no need for compensation. I would also push for a “gas moratorium area”, which exist elsewhere in NSW, so that the Northern Rivers is protected in perpetuity.
Andrea Vickers, Tweed: If elected I will formally support any such legislation.
Tamara Smith, Ballina: If elected as the member for Ballina at the NSW state election in 2015, my first act would be to introduce a bill into Parliament to cancel the unconventional gas exploration and production licenses across the Northern Rivers; followed by the rest of NSW. The Greens are the only party to unconditionally oppose coal seam gas mining, not just in the Northern Rivers, but also across all of NSW. We argue that water aquifers do not recognise election boundaries and that the serious risks posed by unconventional mining to the quality of ater, food supply and people’s health far outweighs any short-term financial gain.
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3. Does the party that you represent have any formal policy to enact legislation to cancel, buy back or otherwise extinguish all existing exploration and production licenses for unconventional gas in the Northern Rivers?
Labor:
Isaac Smith, Lismore: The party that I represent will formalise policy to enact legislation to cancel, buy back or otherwise extinguish all existing exploration and production licenses for unconventional gas in the Northern Rivers
Paul Spooner, Ballina: Yes, the Labor Party has made a solid commitment to ban CSG in the Northern Rivers. Under the policy, Labor’s Plan for a CSG Free Northern Rivers, Labor will not allow new CSG exploration licenses, will refuse to grant CSG extraction licenses, reject renewals of existing licenses and refuse any applications to expand existing operations in the Northern Rivers.
Ron Goodman, Tweed: Please see the answer to Question 2. I have attached our full policy document for a gasfield-free Northern Rivers.
Trent Gilbert, Clarence: The NSW Labor Party has declared that the Tweed, Byron, Ballina, Lismore, Kyogle, Richmond Valley and Clarence Valley LGA’s will be CSG Free under a NSW Labor Government. This policy includes the prevention of any CSG related activity in the Northern Rivers.
GREENS:
Adam Guise, Lismore: As a Greens candidate, my party has extensively advocated for the protection of land and water from invasive gasfields. Our policy unequivocally opposes coal seam gas, and calls for a special Commission of Inquiry into the impact of this industry.
http://nsw.greens.org.au/policies/nsw/coal-and-coal-seam-gas
The Greens instigate an Upper House inquiry into coal seam gas in 2011.http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/committee.nsf/0/29AE48525CFAEA7CCA2578E3001ABD1C
Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham has repeatedly spoken out against invasive gasfields in parliament.
http://jeremybuckingham.org/category/mining/coal-seam-gas-mining/
The Greens have also introduced a number of Bills to parliament calling for a moratorium and to protect land and water from irresponsible mining.
http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/nswbills.nsf/0/F4CE08EEB343A54CCA25788B00242FD6
http://jeremybuckingham.org/2014/10/23/the-greens-responsible-mining-bill-2014-2nd-read-speech-jeremy-buckingham-23-october-2014/
Andrea Vickers, Tweed: The Greens have prepared legislation to empower local communities to make decisions in relation to unconventional gas development and protect water resources, agricultural land, national parks and state forests as well as residential areas. The Responsible Mining Bill was developed by the Office of Jeremy Buckingham, Greens MP and spokesperson on Mining.
Tamara Smith, Ballina: Yes. The Greens initiated a NSW Parliamentary inquiry into coal seam gas in 2011, we support the right for landowners to say no to gas exploration and we oppose coal seam gas exploration and production, and any associated pipeline and export infrastructure developments. The Greens support the cancellation of current gas exploration licenses (see: http://nsw.greens.org.au/policies/nsw/coal-and-coal-seam-gas).
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4. If re-elected would you and the party you represent initiate any other legislative or regulatory action that would have the effect of preventing any further activity by gas companies in relation to exploration and/or production licenses in the Northern Rivers.
Labor:
Isaac Smith, Lismore: I and the party I represent will initiate any other legislative or regulatory action that would have the effect of preventing any further activity by gas companies in relation to exploration and/or production licenses in the Northern Rivers.
Paul Spooner, Ballina: If re-elected would you and the party you represent initiate any other legislative or regulatory action that would have the effect of preventing any further activity by gas companies in relation to exploration and/or production licenses in the Northern Rivers.
Ron Goodman, Tweed: If elected would you and the party you represent initiate any other legislative or regulatory action that would have the effect of preventing any further activity by gas companies in relation to exploration and/or production licenses in the Northern Rivers.
Trent Gilbert, Clarence: If re-elected would you and the party you represent initiate any other legislative or regulatory action that would have the effect of preventing any further activity by gas companies in relation to exploration and/or production licenses in the Northern Rivers.
GREENS:
Adam Guise, Lismore: If elected, I would continue the good work of the Greens in fighting for a Gasfield Free Northern Rivers. This would involve speaking out in parliament, supporting community campaigns, introducing legislation, moving motions and doing media. My goal would be to have the Northern Rivers declared ‘Gasfield Free’ and have this protection enshrined in legislation in perpetuity.
Andrea Vickers, Tweed: If re-elected would you and the party you represent initiate any other legislative or regulatory action that would have the effect of preventing any further activity by gas companies in relation to exploration and/or production licenses in the Northern Rivers.
The bill discussed above would empower local communities, through their council to prohibit unconventional gas within their local government area. It would also create a network of ‘no-go zones’ for all mining types and would prevent future licences for any mining type being able to be granted over productive agricultural land, significant catchments and waterways, national parks and state forests as well as near residential areas.
The Greens policy relating to all fossil fuels, including unconventional gas, is that no further development can be allowed. The greenhouse gas emissions impact from the mining and burning of fossil fuels makes these activities irresponsible and would not be supported under the Greens Responsible Mining Framework.
The Greens have been publicly campaigning for a phase-out of fossil fuel development for a number of years and have been active in the campaign to oppose all unconventional gas across NSW.
Our legislative response recognises that a number of mining activities can have significant environmental and social impacts and that a framework for managing all types of mining would best serve to ensure communities could have confidence in a system of regulations, free from the corporate and political interference that seems to have underpinned much of the unconventional gas development in NSW to date.
Tamara Smith, Ballina: If elected I will work tirelessly in the NSW Parliament with my fellow Greens MP’s to have the gas exploration licenses over the Northern Rivers cancelled and for a permanent ban on unconventional gas mining in all of NSW. The Greens supported a Bill in the NSW State parliament in 2014 that sought to establish a clean mining regulatory body to oversee all mining operations in NSW and also want a special Commission of Inquiry into the environmental, social, governance and economic impact of this industry. The Greens are the only party not to accept poltical donations from coal and gas companies and have introduced legislation to clean up NSW politics by banning political donations from coal and gas companies, without support from the Labor or Liberal-National Parties, see: http://www.johnkaye.org.au/greens-charter-of-clean-politics/. I have a petition on my webpage to this effect, see: http://www.tamarasmith.com.au/petition
