what gahams neighbours say, page-8

"MISINFORMATION, untruths and fear" are dominating the debate over the gas industry, according to a well known North Coast farmer who would not be named due to fear of retaliation.

'John', who has been farming in the area for 60 years, said gas opponents could achieve more for the environment by focusing on ecological problems already threatening the region.

He listed carp infestation in local rivers, out of control weeds, and bellbirds "destroying thousands of acres of eucalypt forest" as some of the pressing issues.

"Those to me have a far worse impact on the environment than a gas well. It's happening now and no-one's doing anything about it," he said.

"The river redgums, trees hundreds of years old, are dying on the floodplain.... and look at the infestation of camphor laurels.

"If some of the energies put into Bentley were put into these things, I think we'd benefit."

The farmer is quietly supportive of a local gas industry's potential to bring jobs and money to the region, and said people should trust that "precautions are taken" when gas wells are drilled.

"I look around the smaller towns - they have empty shops, and people living on welfare. That's not going to advance the Northern Rivers. A bit of industry would bring money in," he said.

He lambasted a motion tabled at last night's Byron Shire Council meeting suggesting that gas drilling at Bentley might have "catastrophic" impacts on Lismore's and hence Byron Shire's water supply.

"It would do everybody some benefit to see what is involved in the pipes that go down; they're encased in steel and concrete," he said.
I really think some of the facts should be known, rather than the misinformation."

GAS SUPPORTERS AFRAID TO SPEAK UP

RICHMOND Valley general manager John Walker said he received phone calls "every day" from people supportive of the industry who were "too scared to come out".

"People are scared… whether it's verbal abuse, or written abuse, or specific threats about knowing where people live; all that sort of thing is happening all the time," he said.

"It's long gone since there's been a rational, proper scientific debate on this matter." Robbie Graham, who owns the property on which Metgasco is scheduled to drill the Rosella E01 well this month, agreed it was no longer a debate.

"It's only a slanging match," he said.

"If it was going to be a debate, they would sit down with Metgasco and debate it with Peter Henderson, but they won't.

"Metgasco have drilled 50 wells to date - where have the issues been with them? None.



"There's been a few people who've decided we don't want this for whatever reason, and it's just been a rolling stone that's gathered moss."
http://www.northernstar.com.au/news/fear-and-falsehoods-obscure-csg-debate-says-farmer/2226551/