Greens will stand up for farms while other parties stand up for fracking

The Tasmanian Greens today said they were the only party committed to protecting landowners’ rights over fracking after Labor and the Liberals joined to block the Greens’ proposed moratorium.

Greens Member for Lyons, Tim Morris MP, said that the Greens would continue to work with concerned landowners, businesses and communities protect the best interests of Tasmania’s environmental and economic future.

“Whilst the result of the vote today was disappointing, it was not unexpected, neither Labor or the Liberals have indicated any interest in protecting farmers from the disasters we have seen caused elsewhere by fracking,” said Mr Morris.

“It’s an interesting mindset that the old fashioned parties are subscribing to in this instance. They are risking current economic activity that businesses and the State have invested a great deal into, yet now they are willing to risk all of that for a gas supply.”

“We don’t need more gas. We have almost all of our energy needs met by renewable energy.”

“If successful this non-Tasmanian venture, extracting publicly owned resources, will want to sell them back to us at a premium, when there isn’t even a demand for it.”
“This is a ludicrous proposition and the costs could potentially be catastrophic.”

“The rate of drill holes fracturing is 6% in the first year. Even one shaft fracturing is enough to disrupt or contaminate the water table for a region.”

“The Greens are not happy to even risk one farm to appease this venture.”

“PetraGas and the Resources Minister have been diligently parroting their line that this is just an exploration license and exploration does not involve fracking.”

“Since when does a commercial operation invest money identifying a resource or product, only to walk away from that opportunity unexploited? Are we to believe that PetraGas wants to ascertain the presence of commercially viable amounts of gas or oil simply for our information? That would be extraordinarily generous of them.”

“Of course if the source is proven to be there then PetraGas will apply for a mining license and now we hear that neither Labor nor the Liberals will stand up for farmers to say no to fracking should that mining license eventuate,” Mr Morris said.
Tim Morris MP Greens Member for Lyons