Douglas Shire Council locks the gate against fracking
Douglas Shire Council locks the gate against fracking
Tuesday November 4 2014, 1:20pm
Douglas Shire Council (DSC) has today voted unanimously to become a ‘Lock the Gate’ council and oppose all attempts at coal seam gas mining and ‘fracking’ projects within the boundaries of the shire.
DSC is the first council in Far North Queensland to adopt such a policy.
The proposal was brought before council's general meeting today by deputy Mayor Abagail Noli, in association with CSG Free North Queensland, a subgroup of the Lock the Gate Alliance, a national-level association opposed to fracking and coal seam gas (CSG) mining.
CSG projects involve pumping high-pressure liquids deep underground to fracture or ‘frack’ layers of rock and release coal-seam gas, which can be used as an energy source.
The process of fracking, however, has been linked to environmental impacts including contamination of water tables.
Lock the Gate takes its name from what it sees as the only viable method to keep mining companies from gaining access to farmland under exploratory permits issued by the State Government.
Council will also support and encourage neighbouring councils to also oppose CSG projects.
Cr Noli said that DSC had a responsibility as a Reef Guardian council to oppose fracking and CSG mining, which she said used ‘unsafe processes’.
“We need to let everyone know, including the State Government, that we are opposed to this unsafe method of mining.”
Anita Everett from Lock the Gate lauded the decision.
“We’re very pleased with this result,” Ms Everett said.
“58 councils across Australia have already pledged to lock the gate and I hope this encourages others in the Far North Queensland region to do the same.
“This is a very invasive and dangerous method of mining and we should be keeping it away from our farms and our families.”
Councillor Terry Melchert raised an issue with the proposal despite his personal concerns about CSG impacts.
“The thing that worries me is that although the State Government issues the exploration permits, much of the ancillary development that a CSG project needs is subject to development approvals by council and we are supposed to be non-partisan in our process,” he said during discussion of the proposal.
“If we are to go ahead with this proposal it could be argued by development applicants that we are no longer unbiased, which means the decision could be taken out of our hands and given to the State Government.
“We don’t want to be taken away from the decision-making table.”
A CSG proposal by extraction company Mantle Mining at Mt Mulligan in neighbouring Mareeba Shire Council is currently under consideration by the State Government.