New coal and coal seam gas mining licence applications in NSW will be subject to tougher rules once a 60-day moratorium on new permits ends on Saturday, but the crackdown has done little to subdue escalating concerns about conflicting land uses.
The conditions announced yesterday by NSW Resources and Energy Minister Chris Hartcher include a ban on the use of harmful BTEX chemicals in CSG drilling, extending a moratorium on the technique of hydraulic fracturing and subjecting new exploration applications to public scrutiny.
