Updated 5.40pm
The Coal Seam Gas Moratorium Bill was voted down late this afternoon 38 votes to 36 by the government.
The government argued the moratorium would only slow down the development of a much needed gas supply as the state entered a phase of post-coronavirus recovery and "now is not a time for politics", said state Treasurer Dominic Perrettot.
Immediatetely after the vote, Independent MP Roy Butler said this was never a bill to ban coal seam gas, but instead sought to make sure the NSW Chief Scientist's 16 recomendations were examined and implemented before the green light was given to the Narrabri Gas Project.
Mr Butler said he was only notified by the Leader of the House at 8.40am this morning that the bill would come on at 9.45am, which was very short notice.
He said the best numbers in favour of CSG in any rural community were around Narrabri at about 50:50, and in most other areas it was as high as 80 to 90 per cent of people against its introduction.
Mr Butler explained many of his constituents will be dissapointed because it was their groundwater supplies that got them through this past couple of years of extreme drought and this critical resource was at risk.
He said he'll be telling his constituents that despite getting the bill through the Upper House, he just couldn't get the small number of votes required in the Lower House to bring it home, despite some of the Coalition members being in areas that will at some stage likely be affected by CSG themselves.
He said they will at some point have to answer as to why they didn't take all appropriate measures available to mitigate the risks.
NSW Farmers president James Jackson was also dissapointed.
He said the majority of the association's members were extremely concerned about the introduction of coal seam gas and the risks it posed to groundwater.
"Our policy is not overtly against CSG, but it has to pass some caveats, particularly on the Great Artesian Basin and shallow groundwater," he said.
"Our members are very concerned about the groundwater and are not comfortable with the assurances until the Chief Scientist's recomendation's are met."
He also commented on the short notice for the bill being presented, saying the association knew it was getting close "but I don't think we were alerted it was today".
Likewise, the Country Women's Association of NSW was dissapointed with the haste at which the bill was brought forward.
"We were dissapointed with the outcome of the bill and we were dissapointed that it was brought on so quickly without adequate consultation," said the organisation's chief executive officer Danica Leys.
"Hopefully there'll be other opportunities to look at this issue and we'll be keeping an eye on the hearings process with the IPC (Indpendent Planning Commission)."
She said the CWA would also continue discussions with government about the importance of this issue for its members.
This morning, upon hearing of the bill being brought forward, the CWA also emailed a letter to all Lower House members to make sure the CWA's members' position was included in the debate.
The letter said: "We support a ban on unconventional gas extraction like coal seam gas, in NSW... Our concerns centre on many of the Chief Scientist's recommendations that have not been properly addressed, despite the NSW Government having almost six years to do so, and to decreasing community confidence in the safety and transparency of this industry."
"There are still too many unknowns, and risks to natural resources and water resources to be confident with this industry. We believe that we cannot proceed with CSG in NSW at the current time."
The CWA of NSW is also the largest rural-based advocacy group in NSW.
Today's decision means Santos' project now rests with the Independent Planning Commission decision, for which hearings are forthcoming, and it will not have to be held accountable to the Chief Scientist's recomendations, which addressed potential risks from the extraction of coal seam gas.
Earlier today ....
Farmers across the state's north, especially in the Pilliga region are waiting with baited breath today as the Coal Seam Gas Moratorium Bill is voted on in the Lower House.
Last night the Legislative Council voted to impose a moratorium on coal seam gas development in NSW.
The moratorium includes that it be a requirement that Narrabri Gas Project owner Santos follow through with the 16 recemondations put forward five years ago by the NSW Chief Scientist, Professor Mary Okane.
In February The Land reported that Santos had implemented obnly two of the 16 recomendations, and the concern of landholders is that if the coalitiojn blocks today's Bill, being debated this afternoon in the Lower House, that Santos will not be held accountable to those recomendations.
The Bill passed the Upper House last night with the support of the Labor Party, the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party, the Greens and the Animal Justice Party, with 20 votes to 17 before being introduced to the Lower house today by Member for Barwon Roy Butler.
Member for Port Stephens Kate Washington said during debate that as many as eight - or half - of those Chief Scienstist recomendations hadn't even been started on, and only two addressed in full and this project would affect "over 95,000 hectares of land".
She said the recomendations were made as assurances for the neighbouring landholders and industries such as farming and tourism that might be affected by coal seam gas extraction and that the National Party "is indifferent to rural and regional NSW".
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Inpdependent MP Justin Fields said in a statement that is the Government succeeds today in blocking this CSG Moratorium Bill, it will only fuel the frustration in regional communities that they have been sold out by the Nationals when it comes to protecting farmers, protecting water and protecting communities.
Member for Bathurst Paul Toole said "every time we see an unholy alliance between Labour and The Greens .... they cost jobs and wreck state deficits".
He said if labor folowed the science, it wouldn't be backing a moratorium and that right now was a critical time to invest in options that would make our state stronger, given the drought, recent bushfires and affect of COVID-!9 and that cost effective energy was important for manufacturing and businesses.
Mr Toole added that the Santos Narrabri Gas Project would create as many as 1300 construction jobs, 200 operational jobs and 500 direct or indirect jobs once complete.
He said the proposal was currently with the Independent Planning Commission and "we in this house should not pre-empt this decision".
Member for Upper Hunter Michael Johnsen said if you want to push prices up, then put on a moratorium and limit supply.
"Currently NSW gas production is less than five per cent of NSW's gas needs," he said.
A spokesperson for Independnt Roy Butler said it is expected there would be a resolution by later this afternoon.
