Citizens of Geelong outraged over fracking threat
Channel: Centre for Climate Safety
Date: 2013-10-19

Citizens of Geelong are outraged to find out that the oil and gas company Lakes Oil is coming to the region. 

The company acquired an exploration license for 'tight gas', a kind of 'unconventional' gas. This exploration is likely to involve the controversial fracking (hydraulic fracturing) technique which is known to contaminate aquifers with toxic chemicals.

The license currently covers the outskirts of Geelong at Waurn Ponds, as well as taking in Anglesea, Torquay, and vast tracts of farmland in-between.

The company has not been willing to reveal when they will start the drilling, or where, but rumours have spread that they could begin test drilling and exploration as early as January 2014.

Upon hearing this, an unlikely mix of local farmers, fishermen, tradesmen, civil servants, teachers, doctors, artists, students, and parents from Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula and Surf Coast have begun preparing for the arrival of 'the frackers'.

Three action groups have emerged in the last few weeks, taking inspiration from the methods which have been used in Gippsland and New South Wales to keep the fracking companies out. In these places, one community after the next has declared itself 'Coal and Unconventional Gas Free' after surveying their communities and finding over 95 percent of residents support keeping coal and gas companies out.

"After hearing about the exploration license over Geelong and surrounds, we made contact with people from farming communities in Gippsland who have already had bad encounters with Lakes Oil and are coming together to drive them out. We've seen what fracking has done to communities in Queensland and across the USA. We can't risk that kind of contamination happening here," said Frack Free Geelong group member, Anthony Gleeson

These new groups in the Geelong area are also linking with an international movement against the process of 'fracking', which has devastated communities across the world. October the 19th was a global day of action calling for a ban on fracking. Groups from 200 cities in 25 different countries participated. At Geelong's waterfront a group of concerned citizens joined them to demand that the current moratorium on fracking in Victoria is strengthened into an outright ban on all types of fracking.

The moratorium only applies to Shale Gas whereas Coal Seam Gas mining could start at any time. 

"There are no regulations in place to make sure some of the safety standards that exist, exist in Victoria," said Associate Professor Samantha Hepburn, Deakin University's expert on environmental property and natural resource management: "Striking a balance between farming and coal seam gas mining will be difficult. The intersection between mining and agriculture, and in particular the impact that coal seam gas mining will have upon food security, is a major concern."

The action comes in the wake of the release of a report by Peter Reith, recommending the state government lift the current moratorium on fracking as soon as possible.

"Fracking is not part of anyone's vision for a clean energy future for Geelong. We thought we were safe under the moratorium against fracking. But with the Reith report, we can now see that this will no longer be the case. The Napthine government is keen to step up the drilling for gas, and Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane is saying that companies should extract 'every molecule' of gas to boost exports and supply the domestic market. In addition, Geelong City Council is keen on expanding the city's port for fossil fuel exports. What this means is that we must take bolder steps as individuals to protect our land and our future," said Anthony Gleeson.
 
"These are our choices: Do you want healthy jobs, or unhealthy jobs? Do you want clean drinking water, or water contaminated with toxic chemicals? Do you want farmland for food production, or do we want to see it raped? Do we want to continue business as usual and suffer the impacts of runaway climate change? Or do we want to move into a job-rich clean energy future?"

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For more information see:
»  www.globalfrackdown.org
»  www.facebook.com/FrackFreeGeelong
»  www.climatesafety.info/frackfree

Audio recordings:
»  Speakers at a meeting in Geelong on 24 September 2013: http://climatesafety.info/?p=4663
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FRACK FREE GEELONG REGION 

www.facebook.com/FrackFreeGeelong 
www.facebook.com/FrackFreeBellarine 
www.facebook.com/FrackFreeSurfCoast 

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