14 December 2010

It was resolved that a Notice of Motion, as outlined below, was supported by Council;

1. Unreservedly support the request of the NSW Farmers Association for a moratorium on all coal seam gas (CSG) mining in NSW.

2. Write to the Premier and the Minister for Environment Climate Change and Water as well as the Leader of the Opposition and the Shadow Minister for the Environment, Local Member to strongly urge a moratorium on CSG mining and particularly the practice of hydraulic fracturing in NSW until an extensive and independent environmental impact statement has been concluded on the effects of CSG mining on the environment and in particular the effects of CSG mining on groundwater.

12 January 2011

Council sent a series of letters to recipients outlined in the December 2010 Council Meeting resolution.

17 August 2011

Council staff received an application to carry out non-invasive seismic data acquisition work within the road reserve of Bungabee, Rock Valley and Chelmsford Roads from Metgasco Ltd.  Consent was granted on September 1.

21 September 2011

The Mayor and General Manager make a submission to the General Purpose Standing Committee No.5 Inquiry into CSG at a hearing held in Alstonville, advising of the Council resolution of December 2010 supporting the NSW Farmers Association moratorium on CSG mining in NSW. 

8 November 2011

A ‘Matter of Urgency’ was raised at the November Council Meeting in relation to CSG mining on Council land.  It was resolved that pending further guidelines from the State and Federal Government, any application made to Council for testing or exploration for CSG or minerals on Council owned or administered land be reported to Council.

10 November 2011

In response to the ‘Matter of Urgency’ resolution at the November Meeting, staff withdrew permission given to Metgasco to conduct seismic data acquisition work within the road reserve of Bungabee, Rock Valley and Chelmsford Roads, and requested that Metgasco resubmit the application for the consideration of Council. 

24 November 2011

Mayor and staff meet with Metgasco representatives.  The Mayor expressed the concerns of Council and the community in relation to CSG.  Metgasco provided additional information regarding the proposed work (the relevant Review of Environmental Factors was forwarded to Council - see related documents below).

13 December 2011

Councillors receive a letter from Metgasco Managing Director and CEO, Peter Henderson, resubmitting the request to undertake seismic data acquisition work at Bungabee, Rock Valley and Chelmsford Roads for Council consideration.

13 December 2011

Council debate the Council staff report made to the December Council Meeting regarding the Metgasco application and resolve to:

1. Refuse access to Metgasco and any other companies for any coal seam gas operations seismic testing, drilling and associated activities on Council owned and operated land.

2. Impose a moratorium on all coal seam gas on Council owned and operated land.

3. Further investigate Council's options by obtaining a second legal opinion from a legal firm with experience in the relevant areas.

4. Council to seek further legal advice from a senior barrister within three months from 19 October 2011.

5. Council host a confidential councillor briefing on CSG in February/March inviting a representative from the Australian Petroleum and Exploration Association and The New South Wales Government Department of Trade and Investment to address the briefing along with representatives from Rock Valley Gas Rangers group, Keerong Valley Group, NSW farmers and Norco.

Council resolves to:

1. Conduct a poll in conjunction with the Local Government elections to determine community support for a ban on Coal Seam Gas exploration and mining in our Local Government Area.

2. Inform the Division of Local Government, the Local Government and Shires Associations and NOROC Councils of this intention.

3. Suggest to NOROC Councils that each member Council might like to consider a similar poll.

4. Request staff to prepare a report on the preferred wording for a poll question and the information for both 'Yes' and 'No' cases.

Council resolved the following poll question would be submitted to the NSW Electoral Commission to be asked in conjunction with the 2012 Local Government Election;

1.  Do you support coal seam gas (CSG) exploration and production in the Lismore City Council area?  

And that,

2.  The Yes/No case be approved by the General Manager prior to submission to the NSW Electoral Commission.

As part of the 2012 Local Government Election, Lismore City Council asked the following poll question:

Do you support coal seam gas (CSG) exploration and production in the Lismore City Council area?

The results were as follows:

• Yes with 3,270 votes received 13.14% of votes
• No with 21,608 votes received 86.86% of votes

Council resolves to write to the NSW Premier, NSW Minister for Planning, Federal Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Don Page, NSW Minister for Local Government and the North Coast, Ms Janelle Saffin, Member for Page, Ms Justine Elliott member for Richmond and Mr Thomas George MLA for Lismore to:

1. Inform them of the results of the recent poll on CSG;

2. Inform them of the growing numbers of communities that are declaring their roads to be CSG Free;

3. Provide the timeline of Council decisions on CSG over the past two years; and

4. Urge Ministers and MPs to take steps to prevent CSG activity in our LGA.

A further resolution was passed to write to the NSW Premier; NSW Minister for Planning; Federal Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities; NSW Minister for Local Government and the North Coast Don Page; Page MP Janelle Saffin; and Lismore MLA Thomas George to express on behalf of Lismore deep concern over the recently introduced Strategic Regional Land Use package consisting of:

• The Strategic Regional Land Use Plan – New England North West;
• The Strategic Regional Land Use Plan – Upper Hunter;
• The Aquifer Interference Policy; and
• Two CSG specific codes of practice:

1. The Code of Practice for Coal Seam Gas – Well Integrity; and
2. The Code of Practice for Coal Seam Gas – Fracture Stimulation Activities.

Council will also state in the correspondence that: “The Policy package is totally in conflict with the election poll of Lismore voters who voted 87% against the question 'Do you support coal seam gas (CSG) exploitation and production in the Lismore City Council area?' Council requests that the state government respects the views of the community and revokes all licenses for exploration and production from the Lismore City Local Government Area.”

A motion was moved to organise a field trip to the Queensland gasfields to find out first-hand impacts of CSG on the local economy and environment. The motion also called for Council to discuss combining the trip with Richmond Valley Council and pay for costs from the Councillors Professional Development Fund.

The motion was unsuccessful.

Council resolved to hold a briefing to establish the costs and wording of signs to be placed at the gateways to Lismore including the airport reflecting the wishes of 86.86% of local residents opposed to CSG mining in the local government area.

Council resolved to approach the Northern NSW Local Health District to request that it carry out a Health Impact Assessment on the possible impacts of CSG production on local residents.

Council resolved to ask the Northern Rivers Regional Organisation of Councils (NOROC) to investigate the benefits of jointly funding research with Southern Cross University on baseline data collection on pre-CSG groundwater, with a view to providing $30,000 a year for 3 years to match available Australian Research Council funding.