Wednesday, August 29

Close your gates, Aussie urges farmers

An Aussie environmental campaigner has brought his closed-gate campaign of non-negotiation with drilling companies to Taranaki.
 
Drew Hutton addressed a group of just over 30 people at the Norfolk Hall south of Inglewood last night. The 65-year-old Australian is a central figure in stopping the advance of coal seam gas drilling and fracking in Australia and, for the last week, has been travelling New Zealand addressing groups as part of a Fracking Awareness speaking tour.
 
Examples of drilling and fracking in Taranaki are limited to oil and gas wells but Solid Energy has previously outlined the huge potential for coal seam gas drilling on a prospect it has in the north of the province.
 
Mr Hutton said coal seam gas industrialised rural land, criss-crossing it with wells, pipelines, access roads and machinery. It also upset the balance of aquifers and could poison water supplies.
 
"It looks to me like the same situation as New South Wales two or three years ago where there were rumours it was going to happen but nothing much happened and the companies were pretty tight lipped about their plans.
 
 
Taranaki News Online

No comments:

Post a Comment