We Will Fight – When Coal Seam Gas Comes to Town
Yesterday our family painted signs and drove to town to shout a message that was echoed around Australia at a National Day of Action.
The day of action, against the coal seam gas industry was held on October 16th in order to coincide with National Water Week. Why? Because water, one of the most precious resources for all life, is one of the things at stake if the coal seam gas industry continues the way that it is.
We also have a more personal stake in this fight. The proposed pipeline from Casino, NSW to Ipswich, QLD will pass through our beautiful valley, our neighbouring world heritage rainforest, through the prime farmland of our neighbours and across our property near our front gate.
The pristine waters of our creek will be fouled,
flowing onto one of the main rivers for the north coast region and then through to one of the main beachside tourist destinations for the area.
You may wonder why we would buy in an area that was threatened with such a development. I had heard whispers about what was happening in Tara Queensland (incidentally, another area we looked at buying in) but other than that, like most people, coal seam gas or CSG was not really on my radar at that time, so to speak. When we were in the process of buying the property we were told that there was a proposed gas pipeline, but it had just been rejected for a second time due to not meeting environmental requirements and was highly unlikely to go ahead. About a month after buying the property we heard that the company, Metgasco, had once again applied to put in the pipeline. We are still waiting, with bated breath, to hear the results of this applications impact statement.
Yesterday, along with an estimated 500 others, a huge turn out for a small agricultural community, we marched. To voice our fears for our community, our water and our lives.
We March
Preparing to march
Marching Music
After marching through the centre of town, along the main street.
Kyogle's first ever protest takes to the streets
We met at the town amphitheatre
and heard of the devastation CSG has caused in other communities like ours, the threat to our health, our livelihood and the threat to Australia as a whole, should these lethal chemicals leach into our aquifers and river systems.
It is fuel for our community, fuel to continue the fight. To fight harder, fight longer and win.
If you don’t think this effects you, you are wrong. You need water to live. If you think the infrastructure won’t effect you because of where you live, you are wrong. No where is safe. There are pipelines and pipeline proposals occurring all over Australia, in urban areas, rural areas and natural areas. You only have to google to become overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of an industry which we know very little about scientifically and which is largely unregulated.
If you wish to know more please check out the following links.
http://northernriversguardians.org/
http://lockthegate.org.au/
http://www.nccnsw.org.au/content/facts-coal-seam-gas
Turning a Dream into a Life 
See more coverage of the kyogle rally at http://bit.ly/nZwyFB
Wish you all the Success that you need to stop such environmental devastation to such a pristine part of Australia. We just suffered from a water pipeline in the hinterland of the sunshine coast but because of no awareness of these things the community didn’t protest the thing I can’t work out is how it all gets pumped to the city in Brisbane and all the local’s have tank water and none of us needed it.
Thanks Kyle. Its scary to think of all the people out there who will be effected who have no idea this is going on. I got asked by two different (local) people who saw us with signs, what is this all about? Half the battle is getting the message out that this is happening and it won’t be good.
Good luck. I’ve seen a few current affairs stories on this and felt sick for the farmers affected by it. How can people from other parts of Australia help you?
If we are going to beat this, we need to talk to people and let them know what is happening in prime agriculture land all over Australia. Then we need to make sure each and every person who is worried about this writes to their local state and federal member. It doesn’t have to be a long letter. Just voice your concerns about the industry, whatever it may be.
Great site! Thanks for posting your info, every website, every article, every email, every conversation helps to pass the word on how dangerous this industry is and what we could lose. water is life, this will no doubt be the battle of our lives.
Thanks for your article.
They really reach a lot of people. Our son in Brisbane forwarded it to us after it went through several hands.
Tara would have been a bad choice with the 20 megalitres of polluted water going into the Condamine River daily.
Great to have you on board in our fight
Richard and Gwen at Cougal