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98% of Coomalie residents oppose fracking
supplied by Frack-Free NT 8 September 2015
T
he Northern Territory townships of Batchelor and Lake Bennett, situated in the heart of the spectacular Coomalie tourist region and gateway to Litchfield National Park, have voted overwhelmingly in a community-run survey to
Doug Allsopp Bachelor resident and food producer. Image supplied
block access to fracking and unconventional gas mining. The survey results come in response to the NT Government’s release of its ‘guiding principles’ for unconventional gas companies using ‘fracking’ to mine for shale gas in the Territory last week. “Our Coomalie results send a loud and clear message to the
NT Government: we will not allow fracking in our beautiful region,” said Leeanne Mahaffey, a Batchelor resident who took part in conducting the survey. “I’m proud to know our community here will not allow the Government to continue their reckless push for controversial fracking. The Government’s
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fracking plan is out of touch,” she said. Batchelor and Lake Bennett join Adelaide River in the Northern Territory which completed its own survey last month and over 350 other self-declared ‘gasfield free’ communities across Australia. The survey results demonstrate fracking does not have a social licence to operate and is widely rejected by a strong majority of communities targeted for unconventional gas mining across the country. Bachelor resident and food producer Doug Allsopp has a clear message for the NT Government. “I live rural. Don’t frack with me.” The survey was conducted by local residents over a two month period and asked the question: “Do you want your neighbourhood Gasfield Free?” with 98.1% of residents taking part voting to keep
Batchelor and Lake Bennet gasfield free. “Fracking and unconventional gas is fast becoming the most important environmental challenge facing the Territory. It is a risk to our water, land, public health and the future of many regional and remote communities now facing a massive expansion of this damaging industry,” said Lauren Mellor of the NT Frack Free Alliance. “Despite the Coomalie region’s many valuable natural assets including as a tourism and food growing area the NT Government has not ruled out granting existing permit applications for companies to frack for gas over the region.” “The results of this survey demonstrate communities like Batchelor and Lake Bennett are not convinced that the NT Government can safely manage the risks of
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fracking and are standing up and taking action to protect their communities and homes from invasive gas mining,” said Ms Mellor. The survey results from Batchelor, Lake Bennett and Adelaide River and a proposal for a moratorium on fracking will be taken to the Coomalie Shire Council meeting on September 15, led by Coomalie Shire Councillors. If supported, Coomalie will join the Katherine and Wagait Beach Shire Councils in voting to keep shale gas companies out of their Shires. Also on September 15, Batchelor and Lake Bennett residents will join delegations from pastoral stations and regional and remote communities across the Northern Territory in a march to Parliament house in united opposition to fracking across the Territory.
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