Lifting of onshore gas moratorium puts farms at risk
Onshore gas drilling endangers the water farms rely on, writes South Gippsland beef farmer Fergus O’Connor.
THE verdict is in. The Victorian Government has officially passed the Bill to lift the moratorium on onshore gas exploration and drilling.
As a farmer in South Gippsland, this is devastating news. I farm along sustainable principles, and I’m hugely concerned about the impact a major gas-drilling operation will have on farmland, and on our ability to fight climate change.
Much of this area of South Gippsland has natural springs, and our farm, like many others, depends on them and streams for water supply. We have real concerns that drilling into rock will endanger the water supply.
There is also a risk of water contamination. In Australia, water should be considered our most precious resource. Without it, there will be no farming and no food.
Gippsland is one of the nation’s most productive food bowls. Farming and agriculture are a crucial part of our state’s economy, and yet our State Government is waving aside the risks, the concerns of the local community, and the threat to our climate.
The problem is that gas drilling is disruptive. The constant, grinding industrial noise from the drill, flaring as gas is burned off and the glaring floodlights will have a profound impact on surrounding farms.,
That’s not to mention the release of methane into the surrounding atmosphere, which has a significant impact on the health of the population and contributes to climate change, which is fuelling drought, bushfires and other extreme weather events.
The gas industry claims that “our pipes don’t leak”, but research has shown that fugitive greenhouse gas pollution from gas operations has been vastly underestimated.
The Government often talks about its commitment to tackling climate change.
I endorse this view, but fail to understand why agriculture is not given the status it deserves and recognised as essential for our future.
Please don’t jeopardise agricultural land for a short-term gain.
● Fergus O’Connor is a South Gippsland beef farmer
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