‘No gas mining in St Peters’ rally

Today we had a successful protest rally at St Peters against coal seam gas mining. All the speakers and many people we spoke with are vehemently opposed to the NSW Government’s decision to allow Apollo Gas to do exploration drilling so near homes in the inner city of Sydney. The speakers spoke about the evidence in the USA that clearly shows the extraction process is more environmentally damaging than the final product merits & is downright dangerous to the water tables & the residents near the gas mining fields. They were also concerned about the total secrecy, under which the NSW government gave permission for exploratory drilling, which appears to have started about a year ago without anyone much knowing. The main message was that we need a moratorium to allow for a full assessment of the risks that this industry brings onto our prime agricultural lands & the cities near where it wants to drill.

On the news later today we heard Minister Tony Kelly announce that the NSW government will now (after the event) introduce community consultation processes before other licenses to drill are granted. But Apollo’s drilling will continue because they already have their permission to explore &  it will go on for about 2 or 3 months.

Now is the time to voice your opposition to gas mining by writing to the Minister Tony Kelly, the NSW Premier Kristina Keneally who is also the local member & your Councillors.  The boarder to Marrickville Council is at the edge of this drilling field.  The issue affects us all.

It was good to see such extensive coverage of the rally by the media.  I videoed the speeches & may put up a YouTube once I have put one together.

A small section of the crowd who attended the first 'No Gas Mining in St Peters' Rally