Not an inch of NSW protected from CSG Mining in O’Farrell latest policy draft

Attend the 1st May rally outside parliament along with communities across NSW who are coming to town by the busload to call on the government to Save our Land and Water and Stop Coal Seam Gas.
Next Tuesday, May 1, the people who grow our food - farmers from across the state - are coming to Sydney with a message to the NSW Government: Protect our land and water from coal seam gas and irresponsible mining! The Government promised to protect water, health, agriculture and the environment from CSG and other mining. But their draft plans break this promise.
Join the mass rally on Tuesday, May 1 at 12 noon
Meet at Martin Place for the march to NSW Parliament.
It's time to stand up and stand together, before it's too late!

Send your response to the government’s draft Strategic Regional Land Use Plan.

On 6th March O’Farrell released the draft Code of Practice for CSG Mining and Draft Aquifer interference policy for NSW. These documents aren’t about consultation, they’re about notification of when and how CSG mining will occur. They ignore all the community concerns raised over the past year – and have come out before the Upper House Enquiry report into CSG - on long term impact to our environment, water security and social infrastructure and don’t isolate the city, sensitive environmental areas or the most productive farming land from mining. This rally is our state’s response. Save the date and click here to send in a written submission now – plus as Johnny Cash used to sing, "Up the elevator of our future we’ve all been shafted"

15th March rally outside parliament

More pictures from the rally.
Click here to see the "debate" the O’Farrell Liberal/National government respected our petition.

Dates for your calendar

Full calendar
Tuesday 18 April – Next CSG 101 lecture at St Peter’s Town Hall, 7pm – CSG Mining and political reform.
Thursday 19th April – Saving the Kimberley – Our land or Gasland?
7pm, Mechanics School of Arts, Pitt Street.
Speakers include Lyndon Schneiders, National Director, The Wilderness Society and Rachel Siewert, Greens Senator from WA.
Tuesday May 1 - Protect our Land and Water rally outside Parliament.
Saturday May 19 - "Blockading" Workshop
10-12 midday, Sydney Park (south end)
Learn non violent direct action techniques so you're ready to stop Dart Energy's trucks when they come to start the coal seam gas mining at St Peters.
Saturday/Sunday 28-29 April - Climate Action Summit
University of Western Sydney.
Sunday 29th April - Next Stop CSG Sydney Monthly Meeting
Saturday 5 May - NSW CSG Upper House Enquiry Report due.

Stop CSG Mining in St Peters and all Sydney.

Stop CSG-Sydney is about stopping Coal Seam Gas mining in our city. The risks are too great.
Yet the government has approved permits to drill for CSG across 1/3 of NSW including the whole Sydney basin. If you are one of Sydney's four million+ residents it's certain the NSW Labor government approved a permit for CSG mining that covers your property. St Peters, 4km from the CBD, is the first approved well. Stop CSG-Sydney is calling on the government to cancel the Sydney licence and for a moratorium on all CSG mining until all the water, health, climate and seismic risks are known. This industry has to be regulated. Unfortunately unless our voice is strong and our actions stronger the government will promote mining interests ahead of ours. In 2012 the campaign continues and whether you live in Bondi, Camden, Penrith or Hornsby it's by joining together that we can make a difference.

Farmers, city, country, National, Greens, Liberal voters, conservatives, progressives, It doesn't matter where a Coal Seam Gas well is drilled, it affects everyone. For if the great Artesian Basin is affected, our food production is affected. If our water supply is jeopardised it doesn’t matter how huge the export wealth of the miners, we, the citizens are without the basics of life.

The Ongoing Sydney Campaign

2011 was non-stop busy. We held community forums, organised rallys (King St in September!), supported rallies, lobbied MPs, screened US documentary Gasland, letterboxed hundreds of homes, submitted a formal submission to the NSW Government Coal and Gas Strategy planning, another to the NSW Upper House Enquiry into CSG, sent member speakers to talk to community groups across Sydney (Avalon, Liverpool, Penrith), to P&Cs, to Climate Action groups and more. The effort is working. Govt approvals for mining companies has slowed, there's dissent within the Nationals, more and more people are becoming aware that mining has over stepped the mark. Click here for a pictorial look of our campaign activities from 2011.

The Exploration Permit that covers Sydney

In 2008, the NSW government under Labor granted Dart Energy a Petroleum Exploration Licence (PEL 463) to explore for CSG across 2400sqkm of the Sydney Basin - from Gosford on the Central Coast to Coalcliff south of Sydney. The first exploration well has been approved was for the inner city Sydney suburb of St Peters. On June 2, 2011 Stop CSG-Sydney provided Dart Energy with a list of questions related directly to their plans to drill in St Peters, based on the Review of Environmental Factors. Here's the list of questions and the responses (received 64 days later).

Dart Energy agreed to meet St Peters residents at St Peters Town Hall, Tuesday 16th of August 6pm. For those that couldn't make it visit You Tube or watch the video.

CSG mining is already destroying communities across NSW and QLD, so it is crucial we act now to stop csg drilling in St Peters.

So far we have rallied together, lobbied our politicians, held community information events, hosted a community forum to hear the City of Sydney plans for trigeneration (view the City Of Sydney response to our questions), screened the US documentary Gasland, letterboxed hundreds of homes, submitted a formal submission to the NSW Government Coal and Gas Strategy and more.