NSW Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith and NSW Greens Mining Spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham today welcomed the NSW Government’s announcement they have bought back PEL 445, but have also called on them to provide certainty around the other active PELS in the region.
“The deafening roar from the community is being heard, and the buyback of PEL 445 is an important first step in stopping coal seam gas in the Northern Rivers,” Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith said.
“The Greens have always stood with the community in their fight to protect the Northern Rivers from coal seam gas, and will continue to hold the Government to account,” Ms Smith said.
“While we welcome today’s announcement, we are calling on the Government to provide certainty to the people of the Northern Rivers by legislating to cancel Metgasco’s licences in the region, and ruling the area off limits once and for all.” Greens Mining Spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham said.
“The Greens remain deeply concerned that taxpayers’ money is unnecessarily being used to compensate an industry which has failed to gain a social license to operate.
“The spectre of Metgasco drilling at Bentley and elsewhere stills hangs over the Northern Rivers and it is time the community were given certainty that they will not have to go back to the barricades to defend their region against this toxic industry,” Mr Buckingham said.