Tuesday night’s SBS Insights program, “When coal seam gas comes knocking”, showed the genuine fear and frustration surrounding coal seam gas extraction, as well as how it has split communities – Narrabri especially.
This is akin to the issues surrounding wind farms. Those not convinced about the benefits versus the risks are worried about what they’ll be left with. This was highlighted last week in Yass where the community has begun to change its mind on wind developments.
Meanwhile, the 850 gas wells earmarked for the Pilliga, including those on neighbouring farms, represent just a fraction of the total exploration licences Santos has across northern NSW.
It was also interesting to see peoples’ reactions to the APA Group pipeline. Both sides, whether for or against gas extraction, had concerns for its construction on floodplain country.
The big one though continues to be concerns over water security. That remains the big gap in scientific knowledge that people who aren’t convinced aren’t prepared to bet on.
Without water, the farmers out there have nothing.
These concerns of the Pilliga region were only reinforced by the Queensland experience of Katie Lloyd, who with her husband runs a farm and feedlot near Chinchilla. In her view the science was still playing catch up. They have 18 wells on their farm, with another 20 to go ahead.
She also explained how the local economic boom had been a short-lived shot in the arm for the local town, and Chinchilla was now back to a similar situation to pre CSG.
This raises questions as to whether the hopes of Santos bringing job diversity to a town like Narrabri are realistic. Narrabri resident, Russell Stewart, raised this as a reason for welcoming CSG “if it didn't stuff anybody up”.
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And there in lies the problem – too many people are not convinced that won’t happen, and by the time it does, if it does, it will be too late.
These projects are invasive, will leave behind big abandoned infrastructure and potential water and erosion issues.
While ever the benefits only appear to be short term, and communities aren’t convinced these projects won’t leave behind a mess, people will keep saying no and rural communities will continue to be split.