Environmental groups claim NSW government too slow to act on CSG regulation
The NSW government is yet to meet eight of the 15 recommendations made by the NSW Chief Scientist, one year after they were made in the final report into coal seam gas, environmental groups say.
Monday marks one year since NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer Professor Mary O'Kane gave her review on coal seam gas, at the request of the government to "focus on the impacts of these activities on human health and the environment".
"We have found that despite a number of actions that have been taken by the government to introduce new regulations for CSG and extensive cancellation of exploration licences, there is still a major gap in the regulation of CSG in NSW," said Georgina Woods, NSW coordinator for Lock the Gate Alliance.
"Half of the recommendations that were made still haven't been implemented one year on."
The Chief Scientist's report was the result of a 19-month independent review of coal seam gas activities in New South Wales.
The review found many of the risks posed by the CSG industry can be managed through careful designation of areas appropriate for CSG extraction and high standards of engineering.
NSW Resources and Energy Minister Anthony Roberts said, while not all recommendations had been completed, the government was committed to implementing all of the Chief Scientist's recommendations through the NSW Gas Plan.
"This process is well underway. We have already implemented a range of the recommendations, with the rest in the process of being implemented, including those that require legislative change," Mr Roberts said.
Ms Woods conceded that the government made no explicit promise to fulfil the recommendations within a year, but said the delay has come at the same time as CSG activities have been proceeding in areas like Gloucester and Narrabri.
"There's a risk there will have to be clean-up and changes down the track because we didn't set the regulations in place before the industry got underway."
In their report card on the status of the government's policy on CSG, Lock the Gate Alliance said the government had failed to meet recommendations such as establishing a world-class regime for CSG extraction, creating a standing expert advisory body on CSG and ensuring careful restriction of areas where CSG is allowed.
"... where CSG is allowed; that to us is really the big one that the government has put in the too hard basket," said Ms Woods.
"Yes they have made cancellations and bought back licences, but that has been driven by gas licence holders; it hasn't been driven by policy objectives about where CSG should be allowed."
The government has banned CSG activities within two kilometres of residential areas and protected critical industry clusters, Mr Roberts said.
"The government will soon be legislating to establish a Strategic Release Framework for future titles and take national parks out of existing titles."
Shadow minister for Industry, Resources and Energy Adam Searle MLC said every one of the issues Lock the Gate Alliance has identified is addressed in Labor's CSG moratorium bill.
"We implement a statewide moratorium … permanent no-go areas; we provide for the expert panel and the expert panel has to basically sign off on things before the moratorium can be lifted from any area."
He rejected that the government had failed to meet eight of the 15 recommendations, saying instead that the government "has not implemented any of the recommendations".
"If the government is doing anything, they are not telling anybody about it," he added.
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/e...to-act-on-csg-regulation-20150925-gjvfwr.html
(20min delay)