Greens' bill to stop CSG industry

THE NSW Greens party has launched its bid to shut down the coal seam gas industry with a Bill that, if passed, will impose a 12 month moratorium on drilling.

The Bill would also permanently ban drilling in metropolitan areas.

Announcing the Bill, which the party intends to table this month, Greens mining spokesman Jeremy Buckingham said it was “an important first step to allow a thorough investigation of this industry which has a track record of polluting water and destroying agricultural and environmentally sensitive land”.

Mr Buckingham said the Bill, if passed, would put the coal seam gas industry “in the freezer” for a year.

“The health and safety of people and the environment must come before the interests of multinational mining corporations.

“This industry has not been proved safe in regional, rural or metropolitan areas.”