ABOUT LANE COVE COAL AND GAS WATCH
The Land Cove Coal and Gas Watch is a local grassroots organisation made up of supporters who are concerned about risky coal mining, coal seam gas and fracking. We are a sub committee of the Lane Cove Bushland & Conservation Society.
LATEST NEWS:
Friday 24th July 2020: Click on the links below to read submissions made to the IPC concerning the Narrabri Gas Project:
Lane Cove Coal and Gas Watch Submission to the Narrabri Gas Project IPC Commissioners from Winnie Fu
These supporters are located in and around the North Shore of Sydney but in particular from the Lane Cove local government area and include people from all walks of life and across the political spectrum. But all with one thing in common, taking action to protect our environment and regional communities in NSW impacted by coal mining and CSG.
Our vision is of healthy, empowered communities which have fair, democratic processes available to them to protect their land and water and deliver sustainable solutions to food and energy needs.
The mission of the Lane Cove Coal and Gas Watch is to protect NSW’s natural, cultural and agricultural resources from inappropriate mining and to educate and empower people on the North Shore of Sydney to demand sustainable solutions to food and energy production.
How are we doing this? With stalls, film screening, door knocks, surveys, visits with our elected officials, writing submissions and tours to visit rural communities.
The Lane Cove Coal and Gas Watch was formed in 2014 following a community film screening “Fractured Country: an unconventional invasion” and “Undermining Australia: Coal vs Communities” which rallied people in Lane Cove to step up and join the movement to protect our land, water and future from coal and gas mining.
https://youtu.be/XrE7LzZCn1E https://youtu.be/HrLxaS1XBvg
Fractured Country Undermining Australia
All over the eastern states, people were raising concerns about the rapid expansion of coal and coal seam gas development and the people of Lane Cove were keen to join the movement. Six years on and the group continues to campaign. We are part of the Lock the Gate Alliance who
AWARDS WE HAVE WON
Nature Conservation Council – 2014 NSW Environment Award
The Community Action Award November 2014 – for the most inspiring community action initiative.
Lane Cove Citizenship Award Sally Kennedy 2017 – In recognition of her contribution to the community life of Lane Cove
Read more about the history of The Lane Cove Coal and Gas Watch. Link here to end section.
OUR CONCERNS
With the current expansion in unconventional gas extraction and open cut coal mining, the risk to Australia’s land and water resources from mining has never been greater!
Our land under threat
Our best food-producing lands and our finest natural areas are at risk from unsafe coal and gas mining. The mining expansion that is occurring is unlike anything this country has ever seen before. Coal and gas exploration licences and applications cover almost 40% of Australia and there are plans to increase our coal exports and become the biggest gas exporter in the world. Read more about the places in Australia that are under threat from coal and gas mining.
Our water at risk
On the driest continent on earth, water is our most precious resource. Yet mining is placing our vital water supplies in jeopardy. Drinking water catchments, underground water resources, and many rivers and wetlands are at risk from coal and gas developments. Read more about our water resources that are under threat.
National mapping of coal and gas threat
Detailed mapping of licences Australia-wide reveals that 37.3% of Australia is covered by coal and gas licences and applications. That amounts to 285 million hectares – an area almost 13 times the size of Great Britain! You can view a navigable map of licences across the country here.
OUR CURRENT CAMPAIGNS
Currently the most pressing campaign is the Narrabri Gas project.
The NSW Planning Department has recommended that Santos’ coal seam gas project of 850 gas wells near Narrabri in north west NSW be approved.
The Department has referred the decision on this proposal to the state’s Independent Planning Commission (IPC).
The IPC is holding a public hearing into the project on 20-24 July and is taking submissions.
The Lane Cove Coal and Gas Watch are rallying our supporters to write unique and compelling submissions as our contribution to the campaign. We have held a submission writing workshop and aiming to put in 100 submissions from across the group.
You can get involved with the IPC process in a number of ways:
- Make a submission:
Submissions to the Narrabri IPC can be made online and are due by the 31st July.
https://www.ipcn.nsw.gov.au/have-your-say?project=4f5799b9-781a-453a-ab46-62f2ca2a83f3
Check out these submission guides to help you get started…
More information and resources can be found here. https://www.lockthegate.org.au/gasfields
- Speak at the public hearing:
The Independent Planning Commission will hold a public hearing online during the week of 20-24 July. Members of the public will have the opportunity to present directly to the IPC Commissioners at this time.
You must first register online by 10 July on this page.
We will provide more info about how to make a presentation to the public hearing at our upcoming webinar.
Register now to attend the webinar and get all the information you need to stop Santos CSG.
- Attend the IPC hearing via livestream.
- Help spread the word about Narrabri IPC
Amplify the action and help make this response HUGE by sharing on social media.
Get the word out in your local area with these flyers and posters:
Our historical campaigns and actions
In chronological order from most recent to oldest actions.
March 2020 and June 2020 collecting signatures at Lane Cove Plaza for a petition to Planning Minister Rob Stokes to oppose the Narrabri Gas Project and the members of the legislative assembly for a moratorium on CSG
February 2020
The Coal and Gas Watch hosted a submission writing workshop for the Narrabri Gas Project.
FEBRUARY 2020 – The Bylong Valley protection Alliance won the right to fight Kepco in court to defend the decision of the IPC to reject the Kepco coal mine. Lane Cove Coal and Gas Watch supporters chipped in to contribute towards this case being put up in court. In total $30,000 was raised and the court action will take place in late August 2020
Here are the headlines from The Argus newspaper:
“In good news for those opposed to the development of an open cut coal mine in the Bylong Valley a legal application by the Bylong Valley Protection Alliance (BVPA) to become a full party a court case to defend a planning decision to reject the mine has succeeded.
The Alliance who was represented by the NSW Environmental Defenders Office will now be able to challenge the coal company, behind the project, KEPCO’s evidence in court.”
OCTOBER 2019 – Hosted film screening to protect the Gardens of Stone
We lead a bushwalk through the area in early 2019 for people to come and see for them selves the beauty of the area which needs protecting. This was followed by a film screening and a campaign evening.
SEPTEMBER 2019
Fantastic win for Bylong. The Lane Cove Coal and Gas Watch are proud to have played a part in the campaign to save this beautiful valley.
Warwick Pearce secretary of the Bylong Valley Protection Alliance at the time and member of the Lane Cove Coal and Gas Watch outside the Independent Planning Commission with Environmental Defenders Office solicitor Nadja Zimmerman
The refusal of the Bylong Valley Coal mine represents another significant step in addressing emissions from Australia’s coal exports, with the New South Wales Independent Planning Commission (IPC) rejecting the proposal in part because of its projected greenhouse gas emissions.
EDO represented local community group, the Bylong Valley Protection Alliance, in opposing the 6.5 million tonnes-per-year open cut and underground mine – which would have been built in an area known for its scenic beauty and agricultural productivity.
The IPC found that the proposed mine would have unacceptable impacts on groundwater and that the area could not be restored with the same scenic, heritage and natural values after the mine had closed.
Significantly, the panel cited the Rocky Hill case in its decision, describing the emissions from the mine’s coal as ‘problematic’. It said the mine was not in the public interest because it was contrary to the principles of intergenerational equity. It said that ”the predicted economic benefits would accrue to the present generation but the long-term environmental, heritage and agricultural costs will be borne by the future generations.”
February 2017 – Successful tabling of the 16,000 signature coal and coal seam gas petition in NSW Parliament by Anthony Roberts leading to a debate on the floor of the house. 6,000 of these signatures were collected in Lane Cove.
Prior to the debate there was a rally outside parliament house where Jann’s petition speech Feb 2017 was read out on behalf of the Lane Cove Coal and Gas Watch.
Some recent local press on Lane Cove Coal and Gas Watch
Results from our door knocking campaign – new-doc-17
PROTECTING SYDNEY’S WATER
Lane Cove Coal and Gas Watch is part of the Protect Our Water Alliance. We strongly oppose any mining underneath Sydney’s water catchment. We have seen first hand the consequence of dried upland swamps and have not seen meaningful action from the government.
Barry O’Farrell once promised pre-election that “the next Liberal/National government will ensure mining cannot occur in any water catchment area and that any mining leases and exploration permits will reflect that common sense. No ifs, no buts, a guarantee.”. Look where we are now.