NSW appoints CSG commissioner

June 23rd, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

A Land and Water Commissioner to protect the rights of landholders in negotiations with coal seam gas companies has been welcomed as a “good first step” by NSW farmers.

But critics of the controversial CSG industry say the move is “too little, too late”.

NSW Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner on Saturday announced a raft of tough measures for the state’s CSG producers, which also include the end of a royalty “holiday” for the industry and a new regional community fund.

The Nationals leader said the new Land and Water Commissioner, to be appointed by the end of the year, would advocate on behalf of landholders and farmers who have long complained about their treatment by CSG producers with the automatic right to access their land.

The commissioner would oversee the creation of standardised land access agreements for CSG exploration on private land, Mr Stoner said.

However, existing access laws would remain.

“The commissioner will act as an advocate, and have in place a template agreement regarding access,” Mr Stoner later told reporters at his party’s state conference in Bowral.

“Farmers and other landholders do need to be treated fairly and with respect.

“We’ll be looking to lift the bar when it comes to the negotiations and also compensation.”

NSW Farmers President Fiona Simson said the community had been asking for such protections in negotiations over the government’s yet-to-be-finalised regional land use plan.

“It is a good step forward, particular the announcement of the Land and Water Commissioner in terms of ensuring that we do have balanced development in NSW, that we are looking after the energy needs of our state as well as our farmlands and our water resources,” Ms Simson told reporters in Bowral.

However, NSW Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham said while the changes were a big win for the community, they did nothing to place agricultural land “off limits” to CSG producers.

“Another high level bureaucrat does not satisfy the community’s demand for protection,” Mr Buckingham said in a statement.

“We need legislative change to end the automatic right for mining companies to enter private properties to conduct exploration.”

Community group Lock the Gate alliance said the changes came too late, and didn’t go far enough.

“What farmers have been asking for is the right to say no to access agreements, not for more process that still gives gas companies the right to march onto their land,” vice president Jacinta Green said.

“There needs to be some areas of NSW off limits.”

Mr Stoner has declared the royalty “holiday” for the CSG industry over, with producers no longer to enjoy the five-year exemption from paying royalties.

He says CSG companies will also be asked but not obligated to contribute to a regional community infrastructure fund, with the government refunding $1 to the companies for every $2 committed up to 10 per cent of the royalty take.

The NSW Minerals Council cautiously welcomed the appointment of a Land and Water Commissioner “if implemented properly”.

“We’re yet to examine the detail, but broadly speaking, we hope this new role will provide increased confidence and certainty within the assessment process,” Council chief Stephen Galilee said in a statement.

State opposition environment spokesman Luke Foley said the new Land Commissioner was a “vote of no confidence” in Planning Minister Brad Hazzard, but backed scrapping the royalty holiday.