Council urged to ban gas mining

SENIOR council staff have recommend Tweed Shire councillors impose a moratorium on coal seam gas mining on council-owned land, even though the ban may not stand up to any legal challenge.

The recommendation, to be considered by councillors tonight, follows a plea last month from Greens Party councillor Katie Milne for consideration of a moratorium similar to the one imposed by Moree Plains Council in western NSW. Community and natural resources director David Oxenham has suggested councillors place a moratorium on all coal seam gas activities on council-owned land “until such time as council is satisfied that the impact of such activities can be appropriately managed”.

However he has warned it was difficult “to provide clear guidance on the likely effectiveness or legality” of the moratorium.

And he said such a moratorium would have limited effectiveness because it was unlikely the council could legally exclude the holder of an exploration licence.

He said the council could also refuse development approval, but “given most CSG projects would be considered state significant development, the council would have no jurisdiction to refuse the project”.

However Mr Oxenham said there were “potential benefits for council to publicise its objection to CSG activities in the Tweed, and in particular its intention to oppose all CSG activities on council-owned land until such time as the full environmental and social impacts of coal seam gas exploration and extraction are understood and able to be controlled”.

Yesterday the Mayor of the Scenic Rim Council on the Queensland side of the NSW state border said his council wanted the Queensland Government to ban coal seam gas exploration in the region, west of the Gold Coast.

The council is asking the Queensland Government to amend legislation to prevent prospecting, mining and exploration in the region.