Second year of fracking ban celebrated

COMMUNITIES and councils opposed to unconventional gas have celebrated the second anniversary of the Labor government’s moratorium on the industry.

Treasurer and Minister for Resources Tim Pallas and Labor candidate for South Barwon Darren Cheeseman met with representatives from Frack Free groups and the Surf Coast Shire at a morning tea at Mount Duneed Estate in Pettavel on Tuesday.

In September 2016, the Andrews government permanently banned the exploration and development of onshore unconventional gas in Victoria, including hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking) – and coal seam gas.

There is widespread opposition to unconventional gas in the Geelong region, with several towns declaring themselves gasfield-free and the City of Greater Geelong and the Surf Coast Shire stating they wanted no part of the industry.

Frack Free Moriac’s Alison Marchant said this week was also the two-year anniversary that Moriac, Mount Moriac, Paraparap and Freshwater Creek declared themselves gasfield-free, but it had been a longer journey than just two years for those who had been campaigning against unconventional gas.

“We have gasfield-free communities across Victoria that are ignited and united; they are really now passionate about a lot of issues in their home towns. They’re now looking at renewables and agriculture and climate change.”

She recalled the words of previous Resources Minister Wade Noonan, who spoke at the one-year celebration in Freshwater Creek last year.

“He said ‘you watch that carefully, because you do not want to win this twice’ and that is so true; we do not want to win this twice. So we want to thank you, Minister, for really withstanding the pressure that industry and the federal Liberal Party put on you.”

Mr Pallas said the legislation Labor put in place would remain in place.

“What you’ve done here is vital to this community and vitally important as a story for the rest of the nation.

“We’re not seeing a genuine engagement from the conservatives about this – you’ll recall they were the ones who originally put the moratorium in place, and then they progressively walked further and further back a long, long way.”