Greens back safe drilling

NSW Greens mining spokeswoman Cate Faehrmann says she would back coal seam gas drilling if it could be proven safe.

However, that could be a high bar for mining companies to jump, with Ms Faehrmann today telling protestors at Keerrong, near Lismore, she did not see how it could be safe.

Ms Faehrmann was visiting the region with her party’s Lismore candidate for the March State election, Susan Stock, and met with a gathering of about 30 Keerrong residents and Greens members at a property overlooking a flood plain used as an exploratory drill site by coal seam gas mining company Arrow Energy last year.

The Greens are calling for a moratorium on all coal seam gas drilling in NSW until an independent inquiry can examine the environmental, social and economic risks of coal seam gas.

If that inquiry found coal seam gas could be drilled for safely, Ms Faehrmann told the crowd she would support the practice.

Arrow has previously told The Northern Star its drilling on the Northern Rivers had been done to meet activity requirements on its mining lease in the region. However, its attention was focused on the Surat Basin and it had no intention of mining here in the near future – if at all.

Metgasco, which is preparing to mine gas around Casino said it would not be using dangerous chemicals and it would make sure its drill holes would not intersect aquifers.