Confusion over Council’s view on CSG drilling

A council document reveals the City of Sydney’s intention to use coal seam methane as a source of fuel for their trigeneration plans.

The paper, released last year, and written by the City of Sydney’s Chief Development Officer for Energy and Climate Change, Allan Jones, outlines alternative methods for improving energy efficiency.

It states: “the City through its Decentralised Energy Master Plans- Trigeneration, Renewable Energy and Waste is seeking to identify and develop the renewable gases resource from waste (domestic, commercial, industrial, agriculture and farming, biomass, sewerage and landfill plus coal seem methane) in and around the City of Sydney.”

Last year the state government approved exploratory drilling for coal seam gas (CSG) in St Peters which has drawn widespread criticism because of the lack of knowledge on the risks involved.

Council was unaware of the approval and Ms Moore spoke out against the use of CSG and the lack of community consultation.

But now it has become unclear of Council’s position on the issue despite previously condemning the state government’s secret decision.

The Greens have called for a full moratorium on gas mining and have asked for support from the City of Sydney.

“After the Greens exposed a government approval for coal seam gas mining in Sydney, the Lord Mayor made public statements opposing coal seam gas,” De Brierley Newton, Greens candidate for Sydney said.

“The Lord Mayor/Member for Sydney must urgently clarify her intentions.”

Greens MP Cate Faehrmann said there is unacceptable risks associated with gas mining.

“The Lord Mayor must know coal seam gas is not the clean green energy solution the industry wants to believe it is,” she said.

“We need to ensure that in its haste to find alternative energy sources, the City of Sydney doesn’t inadvertently contribute to other environmental problems.”

But the City of Sydney maintains they will not use coal seam methane as an alternative fuel.

“Our current plans are to use natural gas that is already available in abundance in Australia, with a long-term aim by 2030 to develop renewable gases to replace the natural gas,” a City of Sydney spoksperson said.

“Coal seam methane is not a renewable gas.”

“We made our position very clear about coal seem methane in the Council resolution passed on 6 December 2010- it is not a renewable gas and we find the method commonly used to extract it, called fracking, unacceptable because of its risks to the environment.”

Action group, Sydney Residents Against Coal Seam Gas, has recently formed to voice their concerns, and protest against the proposed exploratory drilling in St Peters.

Spokesperson for the group, Glena Evans, said the group is committed to revealing the dangers involved with the industry.

“We need real renewable energy alternatives- not secretive and dangerous CSG mining under our home, parks, and communities.”

The group is holding an open-air screening of the documentary, Gasland, in Sydney Park this coming Saturday, February 5 at 7pm.

“We are showing the film Gasland, to show the effects of gas mining in the US where it caused land degradation and poisoned water supplies,” Ms Evans.

Currently 200,000 people live, work and play within 2km of the gas exploration site in St Peters.

By Sophie Cousins