Bass Coast Post
  • Home
    • Recent articles
  • News
    • Point of view
    • View from the chamber
  • Writers
    • Anne Davie
    • Anne Heath Mennell
    • Bob Middleton
    • Carolyn Landon
    • Catherine Watson
    • Christine Grayden
    • Dick Wettenhall
    • Ed Thexton
    • Etsuko Yasunaga
    • Frank Coldebella
    • Gayle Marien
    • Geoff Ellis
    • Gill Heal
    • Harry Freeman
    • Ian Burns
    • Joan Woods
    • John Coldebella
    • Jordan Crugnale
    • Julie Statkus
    • Kit Sleeman
    • Laura Brearley >
      • Coastal Connections
    • Lauren Burns
    • Liane Arno
    • Linda Cuttriss
    • Linda Gordon
    • Lisa Schonberg
    • Liz Low
    • Marian Quigley
    • Mark Robertson
    • Mary Whelan
    • Meryl Brown Tobin
    • Michael Whelan
    • Mikhaela Barlow
    • Miriam Strickland
    • Natasha Williams-Novak
    • Neil Daly
    • Patsy Hunt
    • Pauline Wilkinson
    • Phil Wright
    • Sally McNiece
    • Terri Allen
    • Tim Shannon
    • Zoe Geyer
  • Features
    • Features 2022
  • Arts
  • Local history
  • Environment
  • Bass Coast Prize
  • Community
    • Diary
    • Courses
    • Groups
  • Contact us

Council backs fracking ban

20/10/2017

2 Comments

 
Picture
By Catherine Watson

BASS Coast Council has reaffirmed its opposition to coal mining and coal seam gas fracking on the casting vote of the mayor.

At its meeting on Wednesday, Cr Geoff Ellis proposed a motion supporting the current State Government moratorium on conventional onshore gas exploration and development to June 30, 2020.

The vote comes after the Federal Government  threatened to reduce GST payments to states including Victoria and South Australia that have banned fracking of CSG.

The motion reaffirmed the council’s opposition to coal mining and fracking and commitment to supporting renewable energy and actively reducing greenhouse gases.

The council first voted to oppose exploration and mining of coal and unconventional gas within the shire in 2012 in response to a strong community campaign which resulted in several towns declaring themselves “CSG-free zones”.

“Ten years of work by the community and council went into that decision,” Cr Ellis said.

Cr Michael Whelan said the council plan promoted the use of renewable energy.

He was critical of a federal government campaign to scapegoat those states opposed to fracking.

“Victoria produces more gas than it uses. You can buy gas cheaper in Tokyo than you can buy it here.”

However, Cr Les Larke argued that the council should stick to its core business of roads, rates and rubbish. “I’m a little more the basic type of local councillor.”

Cr Bruce Kent said while he opposed fracking, he was not against conventional gas exploration.

Cr Julian Brown said there was a question of whether the council should deal with such issues because it was not in the position of grant exploration licences.

“If this motion is passed, it means this council opposes the mining of all coal within Victoria, including the Latrobe Valley.

The initial vote was tied at four all (Councillors Ellis, Clare Le Serve, Whelan and Pamela Rothfield voted for; councillors Larke, Stephen Fullarton, Brown and Kent voted against) but the amendment was carried on the casting vote of Cr Rothfield, the Mayor.

The council will write to the Premier, State Opposition Leader and local state and federal MPs advocating its position and seeking a commitment to “scientific evidence-based decision making”.
2 Comments
Felicia Di Stefano
21/10/2017 12:37:01 pm

Thank you for letting us know, Catherine. Well done Bass Coast Council for a healthy environment and people's rights. .

Reply
Kevin Chambers
21/10/2017 02:54:21 pm

Until there is concrete proof that fracking wont "frack" the environment, more power to the arm and vote of those Bass Coast Crs who passed this motion.

We've already had a "close environmental shave"with the abandonment of the Hasting Container Port, don't need any more attempts at spoiling our precious Bass Coast.

Reply



Leave a Reply.