On Friday 24th January, I was one of the 150 plus people who gathered near Penola to protest about unconventional gas exploration drilling currently being done by Beach Energy. Coal Seam Gas mining is regarded by many concerned communities as being hazardous to human health. This generally conservative farming community turned up to voice their concerns about the situation, and gather support from each other. They definitely feel their future, and that of their children, in this area is at risk. They are ready to fight.
I think the following images tell the tale…..
Tomorrow the yellow Lock the Gate sign goes onto my front gate, and it’s hoped all landowners in this region will also do the same, giving the message loud and clear, that FRACKING IS NOT ACCEPTABLE HERE!
I’ll be posting updates on this matter as things develop.
Eremophila's Musings 
proven to be insane yet greed trumps the future?
Greed and evil. Running rampant these days. 😦
After seeing ‘Gasland’, I was certain that our government(s) would never go down the track of allowing companies to frack here in Australia. How silly I was.
It makes my blood boil. I’m glad you could get out and protest. I really hope the message is heard and you’re successful in stopping the drills.
Thanks. It’s a case of greed and evil once again, and while I don’t hold out a lot of hope for a happy ending, it won’t stop me from at least trying. There was a great deal of sadness emenating from the group, I felt, but not resignation. Country people can be stubborn 🙂
There is a lot of controversy about fracking here in New York State, USA. Right now, there is a moratorium on the process but???
Yes, moratoriums are a start…. but…. 😦
The same story in the UK. Fracking is the new way to ‘solve’ the ‘energy crisis’ that our government seems determined to inflict on us. We used to have lots of North Sea oil but unlike the Norwegians, who built up a massive cash reserve from their North Sea oil and invested it in education and technology, we allowed oil companies to have it as profits…and that is the bottom line, profits for those who contribute to political parties. Good luck with the campaign.
Yes, it’s time for people around the world to wake up and see what is being done – and to stop it! Hold the politicians accountable. Be accountable. But it sure won’t be easy…..
Yes Enivea, Fracking is an issue which galvanises communities especially ones concerned with food production and thus water quality. I don’t know if coal seam gas extraction would be so contentious if all gas deposits could be exploited without fracking.
I take your point Margaret, although I have a jaded perspective on most mining practices…..
The community here continues to work hard with ongoing meetings taking place. Another protest is planned for Naracoorte next Friday.
It’s unbelievable that with all the evidence of large scale soil and groundwater contamination by chemicals, heath hazards that it represents to the people who live nearby these projects, and potential for earthquakes, governments still allow big ‘natural’ gas companies to pursue such a devastating method. It takes a lot of people like you, for what you’ve been doing, to keep me from feeling so helpless about this. Thanks for that.
It’s getting to be a very big issue down here, and people are getting better informed, and now there’s a great website running:
http://www.protectlimestonecoast.org.au/
There’s a state government election next month, and we’re trying to make it a deciding factor.