By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
A STRETCH of farmland between Geelong and Anglesea could become a battleground on the controversial mining practice of fracking.
Proponents and opponents have emerged after the Independent reported two weeks ago the region was a fracking target, with Lakes Oil holding a local exploration permit.
Lakes Oil confirmed it had carried out geological and geophysical studies in its PEP163 permit area.
Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) head David Byers said government regulations on the practice were politically motivated and anti-business.
He said using duplicating federal and state laws on coal seam gas exploration was doing “considerable damage” to Australia’s long-term economic health and well-being.
“Burying the gas industry in selective, unnecessary and duplicative regulation has real consequences and will inhibit the industry’s ability to do what is so important to so many: produce the natural gas needed by thousands of Australian households and businesses.
“Policies that undermine the development of energy projects and curtail energy production impose real costs on the Australian community in the form of lost jobs, forgone economic opportunity and higher energy bills.”
But Friends of the Earth campaign coordinator Cam Walker accused APPEA of going on a “charm offensive”.
“The community there has already stared down one coal seam gas explorer. There is resounding opposition to fracking and it will be the same this time.
“Lakes Oil is not good at listening to the community but they’re facing really concerted opposition wherever they go.
“Once the state moratorium is lifted they plan fracking new areas, toward the Surf Coast.
“Lakes Oil has been sitting on its licences but they have to use it or lose it. They’re required to spend a minimum on exploration to retain licences.
“They’re spending money to keep their local licence, so they must honestly think there’s a resource down there.”
Victorian Greens leader Greg Barber hit out at what he called a mining industry “spin campaign” over coal seam gas.
“The mining industry now says coal seam gas and other unconventional gas mining in Victoria is natural and good for you like, say, muesli,” Mr Barber said.
“Calling it natural gas doesn’t make it a healthy product. It’s a fossil fuel and extracting it and burning it has big impacts on land, air and water.”
Resources minister Nicholas Kotsiras said Victoria last week became a signatory to a National Harmonised Regulatory Framework for natural gas from coal seams to deliver best-practice regulation across Australia.
The moratorium would remain while the Government worked on responding to the requirements of the new framework.
