Media Release

Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter said today that coal seam gas opponents had claimed a ‘scalp’ in their ongoing war against CSG – as AGL Energy this week made a decision to cease its coal seam gas operations in Australia.

Mr Katter paid tribute to the tireless individuals who had fought against coal seam gas projects – from radio personalities, to Lock the Gate, to farmers, to knitting Nannas – but said the battle was far from over.

“Just this week I had a meeting with Dr David Pascoe and his wife Heather about this very issue – as early as four or five years ago they told me the issue of coal seam gas was so serious and so frightening it had the potential to redefine the political landscape of Australia.

“So we pay tribute to all of these people in having a very small win, but a win nonetheless.

“The CSG industry has treated land owners – and I don’t just mean farmers – but land owners of Queensland with absolute contempt.

“They have jeopardised the water supply for vast areas of Queensland – and all for an industry that does not give two bob to the Australian economy.

“We have always been proudly a mining state but coal seam gas has, and is, seriously damaging the mining industry.

“When the construction and development phase is over the industry comes back to 2500 jobs, and almost its entire $25,000 million a year income will then line the pockets of rich foreign CSG giants,” Mr Katter said.

Mr Katter has constantly warned of the potentially catastrophic social and economic costs of coal seam gas aquifer drilling which threatens to contaminate our waters and the lifeblood of Australia’s agricultural industries.

In 2013 Mr Katter introduced laws to place a temporary suspension on aquifer drilling for coal seam gas extraction.