The Tasmanian Greens today called on the Resources Minister to rule out allowing hydraulic fracturing (fracking) within the PetraGas exploration lease granted for the Southern Midlands.
Greens Member for Lyons, Tim Morris MP, said that fracking had caused major problems elsewhere in Australia and overseas and that local property owners, including farmers and business people, were concerned about the possible consequences stemming from the PetraGas lease.
“I have questioned the Minister twice this week regarding fracking in the Southern Midlands and both times he has failed to confirm that this is the extraction method which will be used should a commercial quantity of ‘unconventional’ gas or oil be confirmed,” said Mr Morris.
“The best I could get out of Minister Green was that ‘Tasmania is open for business’ and in this case, I now take this to mean that we are open to being exploited at any cost, against the wishes of the community and with significant risk to the environment”
“The Greens will now need to presume that since neither the Minister or PetraGas are willing to rule out fracking for gas or oil, that the method is likely to be employed.”
“The Greens introduced an amendment earlier this year trying to improve the rights that property owners have in relation to mining on private land, unfortunately this was not supported by either of the old parties.”
“A public meeting in Oatlands recently attracted 80 people, the vast majority of whom were opposed to fracking and the next meeting will be in Bothwell this Friday night.”
“Other parts of Australia have experience polluted water supplies and disrupted farming operations.”
“In some cases farmers have walked off their properties as they can no longer farm and can’t sell their properties.”
“We are trying to build and support a reputation for clean, green, safe produce and sinking unstable drill holes into productive agricultural land is a bad proposition and doesn’t fit with our brand.”
“There are no guarantees that it will lead to any long-term local jobs and it could in fact upset the existing economy that some families and businesses have invested a lot of time and money into establishing,” Mr Morris said.
“We are building a reputation for clean, green, safe produce and sinking unstable drill holes into some of our most productive agricultural land is a bad proposition and doesn’t fit with our brand.”
“There are no guarantees that it will lead to any long-term local jobs and it could in fact upset the existing economy that some families and businesses have invested a lot of time and money into establishing,” Mr Morris said.
Tim Morris MP Greens Member for Lyons
