about time, page-2

Thanks Monkeyboy65, here is the full report.


Gas miners ponder pro-industry ad blitz
Andrew Fraser From: The Australian June 28, 2011 12:00AM

AUSTRALIA'S peak gas-mining body is considering a multi-million-dollar ad campaign to fight back against what it sees as an increasingly strident attack against coal-seam gas mining.

Representatives of the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association met in Brisbane yesterday to discuss whether to proceed with a campaign similar to that being undertaken by the Minerals Council of Australia.

The MCA started its "This is our story" campaign in early May with television, cinema and print advertisements telling the story of individuals associated with the mining industry and how they and their communities have benefited from the industry.

While the MCA represents the mining industry as a whole, APPEA is more focused on the gas industry, which is growing quickly in Queensland in particular but is under strong attack from environmentalists and minor parties.


APPEA sources said a strong campaign was a "live option" and there would be more discussions over the next few weeks.

While APPEA is considering its public profile, the organisation has enhanced its government profile with the appointment of one of the biggest practitioners of the coal-seam gas industry as its main lobbyist.

Rick Wilkinson was head of Santos's coal-seam gas project until last week, when he was appointed to the new APPEA position of chief operating officer for eastern Australia.

Mr Wilkinson steered Santos through state and federal government approvals for its $15 billion project, and will continue the lobbying process on behalf of the whole industry.

The MCA's campaign will also be stepped up, with another three "life stories" due to be rolled out in television, cinema and print advertisements.

The cinema advertisements are the most effective, as they last several minutes.

Queensland Resources Council chief executive Michael Roche said yesterday the industry was determined to fight back against what it saw as a concerted campaign to destroy it.

"We are not going to simply sit back and cop being demonised by the likes of (Greens leader) Bob Brown, who seems to think that the industry is nothing but a bunch of foreign millionaires," he said.

Cheers Mattocks