The Federal Government has moved to exert greater control over coal seam gas mining projects which are currently largely in the hands of the states. Under the proposed new rules if a coal seam gas project…
Can on-field adulation translate to off-field trustworthiness?
AAP Image/Dean Lewins
Darren Lockyer knows a thing or two about conversions, having banged hundreds between the posts and over the crossbar during his rugby league career. He retired on a high in 2011, having captained the…
As CSG development races ahead in Queensland and NSW, even supporters want to make sure the industry is safe and well-regulated.
AAP Image/Dave Hunt
With the debate increasing over coal seam gas (CSG) exploration, and all sides claiming the moral high ground, how do you find out what the community really thinks about the issue? Well you could do what…
Many Australians are concerned about whether coal seam gas extraction will affect the quality of their water.
Jeremy Buckingham MLC
Community concerns over unconventional gas (shale and coal seam) mining in Australia are increasing. These concerns relate to water and air pollution, land usage, fugitive emissions and to inadequate assessment…
The earth’s crust might be our most valuable resource yet.
prawnpie/Flickr
For centuries, the shallow parts of the earth’s crust have provided us with fuels to burn in our fireplaces, foundries and generators. Now, as we try to break free from our reliance on some of the dirtier…
A coal seam gas production well between Tara and Chinchilla, Queensland.
Jeremy Buckingham
Concerns about the unconventional gas industry’s environmental impacts have been around for some time. The major issues are its effect on surface and groundwater, and growing evidence of greater-than-anticipated…
CSG is new on the scene, but lessons we’ve learned from older land-use conflicts could help us out.
Tony Markham
In 2011, the Australian Council of Environmental Deans and Directors (ACEDD) asked Dr John Williams, former Chief of CSIRO Land and Water Division, to review the science on coal seam gas. John’s report…
Victoria’s economy relies heavily on agriculture - we need protections in place before we let coal seam gas exploration into farming land.
Krstnn Hrmnsn/Flickr
Coal seam gas mining is rapidly expanding beyond the eastern basin states. The Inquiry into Greenfields Mineral Exploration and Project Development in Victoria recommends the Victorian Government establish…
Anti-CSG campaigners - including Lock the Gate’s Drew Hutton - believe bubbles in the Condamine River have been caused by mining.
AAP
The extraction of coal seam gas (CSG) appears to be a simple exercise - drill bores, pump the water out and gas flows away. While this is technically true, many of the environmental risks are nowhere near…
There’s a lot of opposition to CSG mining in NSW. Will Marrickville’s moves to stop it encourage other councils?
AAP
Earlier this week, Marrickville City Council in suburban Sydney blocked an attempt to mine coal seam gas on privately owned land in the inner-city area of St Peters. The Council imposed a condition on…
Under the new regulations, exploration at Pilliga would still have gone ahead.
Kate Ausburn
In NSW the last 12 months has seen a quantum leap in the government focus on coal seam gas (CSG). In December 2010 the then-Labor NSW state government introduced a moratorium on gas well fracking. They…
How Queenslanders vote may affect parts of the Great Barrier Reef such as Heron Island.
AAP/Heron Island
Queensland is different from other states in that it only has a lower house. In other states minor parties achieve representation in upper houses — and therefore have a role in government — through proportional…
UNESCO is reviewing whether more needs to be done to preserve the reef’s heritage listing.
AAP
Obtaining a World Heritage listing for a national asset is a source of great pride for any country. The Taj Mahal (1983), Borobudur (1991) and Uluru (2007) are examples where countries have obtained the…
A new national partnership agreement could allay a lot of CSG worries, if the states sign up.
kateausburn/Flickr
A new national agreement designed to protect water resources from coal seam gas extraction and coal mining could offer a level of protection so far unseen in Australian environmental legislation. Any states…
Queenslanders don’t like coal seam gas, but a smart government could change all that.
AAP
Three little words strike fear into the heart of at least 40% of Queenslanders: coal seam gas. These three seemingly innocuous words have managed to divide a state, and become the hottest topic in the…
Shutting down shale gas is a short-cut to reducing emissions.
alienscapes/Flickr
In the US, as in Australia, debate about the merits of alternative gases has been heated. In the US the contentious gas is shale, rather than coal seam. But at least one source of conflict is the same…
Gas drilling is becoming increasingly controversial in both the US and Australia.
AAP
A US study released this week linking animal health problems with gas drilling provides further argument for more stringent environmental monitoring of the effects of the practice, but should be viewed…
Coal’s heyday is coming to a close, but is gas a long-term solution?
Guy Gorek
The past few years have seen the rapid expansion of the coal seam and shale gas industry. Combine this expansion with the recent introduction of a price on carbon here in Australia, and you end up with…
The Federal Government’s draft energy white paper outlines a future where Australia still depends on fossil fuels.
AAP
The release of Australia’s draft energy white paper has outlined a future where Australia continues to be largely dependent on fossil fuels, embraces uranium and expands existing deregulation and privatisation…
If we’re going to talk about how safe CSG is (or isn’t), we need to look at the full picture.
AAP/Origin Energy
The Mineral Resources Rent Tax passed through the House of Representatives last week, but not without negotiations with the Greens and independent MPs. Perhaps the most significant outcome of negotiations…