Lock the Gate Against Mining in Your Area
‘Lock the Gate’ against coal seam gas
7 September 2011 – Click here to read our submission to the NSW Senate enquiry…
Gecko – Gold Coast and Hinterland Environment Council hosted a screening of the award winning film GasLand in April 2011 at Robina Community Centre. GasLand is a documentary by Josh Fox which addresses the issues surrounding coal seam gas in America. Watch the trailer below:
At the GasLand film screening there were around 70 attendants including Gecko members Petrina van Reyk, Bryne Smith, Rose Adams, Linda Ray and Samantha Morris, as well as Drew Hutton and Libby Connors (pictured).
After the movie everybody joined the vibrant debate about the coal seam gas situation in Qld and NSW. Our guest speaker Libby Connors (Lock the Gate Alliance campaigner) and Drew Hutton (Lock the Gate Alliance President) informed us on the possibly negative impacts on the Gold Coast environment. Concerns were raised about contamination of underground water, agricultural soil, and meat, along with the resulting health problems. To prevent the Gold Coast environment from the disastrous impacts of the coal seam gas industry everybody is urged to “lock their gates”.
Lock the Gate Alliance members are horrified by the potential risks the coal seam gas industry presents and are determined to create a movement against it. Drew Hutton says that “this movement quite rightly points out that the coal seam gas industry is conducting an uncontrolled experiment on the Australian environment that could cause serious harm to the Great Artesian Basin and this could take centuries to fix” (The Brisbane Times, 31 May, 2011).
Gecko is a member of Lock the Gate Alliance and recommends to have a look at their website and to get involved.