CWA puts government on notice over lack of consultation

The Department of Planning has offered a zoom meeting with CWA members - totalling 300 CWA members in the affected areas, with the meeting still to be confirmed.

It came after CWA chief executive Danica Leys wrote to the department detailing concerns at the lack of public consultation after a Preliminary Regional Issues Assessment (PRIA) was announced for the exploration of conventional and tight gas resources in the Bancannia Trough north of Broken Hill and the Pondie Range Trough north-west of Wilcannia.

Ms Leys wrote to the Department expressing the CWA's concern that the opening for submissions closed on February 22, after it was extended from February 17 following the situation where letters to Far West stakeholders about the PRIA arrived on the same day that submissions closed.

Ms Leys wrote saying: "Can I also please place on record our significant disappointment at the approach taken, that seeks to minimise community involvement in an important program by, forcing pre-registrations such as this.

"This is not an acceptable form of consultation, or a genuine one. A serious rethink on this approach is needed. Community members should be able to involve themselves at any stage of consultation they wish. This is a basic concept that any organisation with any skills or background in community consultation and engagement would appreciate and implement.

"We fully expect that due to our registration, you will now be seeking to consult with any and all CWA of NSW members in the Preliminary Regional Issues Assessment area who wish to involve themselves in this work and have their views heard on this important matter."

NSW Farmers has also expressed its anger at the lack of consultation with fears for water resources.

Pastoralists' Association of West Darling (PAWD) councillor Lachlan Gall, Coogee Station, Broken Hill, said it was possible that the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment may choose not to release these areas for exploration when they come to the end of their review process.

"If the Department does release these areas for exploration companies to bid on, there may be no interest from explorers who understand that the Darling Basin is a high risk area to look for gas and cannot justify the expenditure," he said. "The drilling of a wildcat well in western NSW would cost several million dollars and have a low probability of success.

"There are much better places in Australia for companies to explore for oil and gas where the chance of success is much higher than in western NSW.

"Pastoralists can be reassured that the Darling Basin holds no potential for coal seam gas production, which has caused so many problems further east in central NSW (Gunnedah Basin) and central Queensland (Surat Basin). The geological settings between the two Basins are completely different.

"The factors that reduce the possibility of gas production in this area have not been adequately explained to pastoralists by the Department, which has done nothing to allay fears that pastoralists have for their properties and businesses. As a result the Department can expect significant push back from Pastoralists who are fearing the worst."