[Greens-Media] Greens bid to make fracking moratorium permanent continues in Victorian Parliament

[Elizabeth.Ingham at parliament.vic.gov.au]

A Greens bid to make the moratorium on fracking in Victoria permanent 
remains unresolved, with the Nationals and Labor both divided on the issue 
and the vote put off until late November.

In a debate witnessed by forty farmers and their supporters from the 
Gippsland region yesterday, Mr Barber told Parliament: "With this motion I 
invite members of the Labor and Liberal parties and The Nationals to put a 
stop to the devastating impacts we have seen from widespread gas 
extraction in other states. This is a phenomenon we are about to see 
popping up very soon here in Victoria.

"The government has in place a short-term moratorium on gas fracking. That 
moratorium is not based on legislation or policy but simply on the 
government's own decision, and we know that the government is seriously 
looking at lifting it.

"When that happens there will be a number of exploration permits in place 
under both the Petroleum Act 1998 and mining legislation. In other states 
the focus has been on coal seam gas, but here in Victoria we have a number 
of other proposals in the area of tight gas and shale gas, and these all 
fall under the general heading of 'unconventional gas'. 

"Just today we released some information on two planned gas exploration 
operations in western Victoria. Some large exploration areas were granted 
both on the eastern side of the Otways and almost up to the doorstep of 
Geelong and also west of the Otways through the Port Campbell and Timboon 
area. 

"With this motion I am inviting the Labor and Liberal parties, and The 
Nationals as well if they like, to explain to the community either their 
preferred approach to the regulation of what will soon be a widespread 
activity or alternatively to join the Greens and lock the gate not just on 
the property of one individual farmer who might seek those rights but to 
lock the gate on the state of Victoria and make a rapid transition from 
gas as a source of energy supply to renewable energy sources. In any case 
gas will become a lot more expensive very soon so we should use the 
remaining few years not to pump gas faster and do even more environmental 
damage in the process but to make a rapid transition for our homes and 
industries from fossil fuel-based energy to renewable energy sources."

Mr Barber's parliamentary motion is: That this house calls on the state 
government to implement a permanent ban on the exploration or development 
of unconventional gas fossil fuels across Victoria.

Background info: 
http://vicmps.greens.org.au/content/gina-rinehart-plans-frack-western-victoria


Full debate transcript: 
http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/Council_Aug-Dec_2013_Daily_13_November_2013.pdf


For comment: Greg Barber - 0433 044 771

**********

Liz Ingham
Office of Greg Barber MLC
Northern Metropolitan Region
Victorian Greens Leader

P: 9348 2622
M: 0409 333 595
E: elizabeth.ingham at parliament.vic.gov.au
W: http://mps.vic.greens.org.au

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Parliament of Victoria                                                                                                                    . 
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