Energy executives felt the heat on Tuesday night as they met with angry residents about the Coal Seam Gas Mining plans in St Peters.
The question and answer style meeting at St Peters Town Hall saw a number of frustrated residents lash out at Dart Energy Australia over their lack of consultation with the community.
Dart Energy Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, Robert de Weijer, assured locals of the company’s full disclosure policy.
“We are committed to being open and transparent. We have absolutely nothing to hide,” he said.
But residents continued to raise questions over the honesty and integrity of the company’s plans. Major areas of concern include the amount of methane that could potentially be leaked into the atmosphere, the protection of nearby houses and businesses and the renewal of the mining exploration licence.
Greens candidate for NSW, Jeremy Buckingham, criticised the language being used by Dart Energy.
“Wherever these companies go they use the same modus operandi . . . that is to say ‘at this stage’ and ‘currently’. It’s an incremental approach,” he said.
Mr de Weijer assured residents that drilling will not begin until 2014.
But Jacinta Green from Stop CSG Sydney believes that uncertainty still remains.
“Every time Dart Energy speak they seem to change their mind,” she said.
Stop CSG Sydney, who hosted the forum, presented three key demands to Dart Energy; a moratorium, a royal commission enquiry and an absolute ban on fracking.
Mr Buckingham presented a possible solution to some of these demands with plans for a Coal Seam Gas Mining Moratorium Bill which would introduce a 12 month ban on all coal seam gas mining activities and a permanent ban in metropolitan Sydney areas.
Queenslander Dayne Pratsky spoke of his first hand experience with accidents in coal seam gas mining. He came down to Sydney to
attend the meetingand raise questions about the need for a large buffer zone in such a densely populated area.
Mr Pratsky felt he heard no new information at the meeting.
“I don’t think people left feeling satisfied,” he said.
There was further outrage over Mr de Weijer’s early departure from the meeting which he attributed to family commitments in Brisbane.
“Robert said that he would be here tonight so the fact that he thinks that it is appropriate to fly off half way through when he picked the date and we gave him the options I find completely unacceptable,” said Ms Green.
Stop CSG Sydney will rally again today at noon as a NSW Government mining conferences takes place at the Wentworth Sofitel.
By Tara Blancato
