GEELONG’S council has joined a chorus of Victorian councils demanding the state’s reserves of onshore gas remain locked up underground.
Council stated its opposition to the extraction of coal seam gas in a submission to a State Government inquiry.
“Council rejects onshore gas extraction and hydraulic fracking and supports a permanent ban,” said councillor Andy Richards, who holds an environment and sustainability portfolio.
The submission was based on feedback to a council “fact-finding process” that received 449 submissions, 447 of which expressed opposition to fracking.
The submission raised issues including the potential impact of fracking on land, air and water quality. The submission also highlighted concerns about health, noise pollution and property values.
Council instead urged the Government to consider green alternatives.
“Council has requested State Government develop renewable energy sources to replace fossil fuels for heating, cooling and power,” Cr Richards said.
Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) told the Independent in October that residents should be wary of “fracking fear” when Victoria needed natural gas supplies.
“Geelong has a long history as a leading manufacturing centre in Australia and one (that) relies heavily on natural gas as an energy source,” APPEA said.
“While there is no indication there are commercially viable sources of natural gas in the Geelong area, we’re asking people to keep an open mind about much-needed natural gas production in Victoria.
“We would also encourage people not to accept fracking fear at face value. The truth is hydraulic fracturing is a safe, reliable and well-understood technology that has been used safely and successfully in Australia to improve gas flow in wells since the 1950s.”
Fracking is the process of injecting liquid underground to fracture ground structure, releasing gas. Attempts to tap geothermal energy use a similar technique.
Advances in fracking technology helped the USA become a net oil exporter in 2013. Worldwide oil prices fell as American output increased and the fracking boom was attributed with helping the US economy recover following the global financial crisis.
