INDEPENDENT candidate for MacKillop Jon Ey has warned Beach Energy’s gas field discovery in Penola will destroy the reputation of South Australia’s most famous wine growing region.
Following the discovery of a new gas deposit at the Haselgrove-3 drill site, Mr Ey said the region was at risk of being transformed into an industrial wasteland.
“If this discovery turns out to be commercially viable it will be the beginning of a proliferation of wells in the Limestone Coast turning our clean agricultural and wine growing region into a gas field,” he said.
“Australia produces an enormous amount of gas already and putting agriculture at risk and destroying the reputation of South Australia’s most famous wine growing region is just pure lunacy.
“The proliferation of gas fields would destroy our reputation and severely impact the tourism industry.
“This is nothing more than corporate greed and a government desperate for revenue.”
In announcing the gas deposit discovery, Beach Energy chief executive Matt Kay said he was appreciative of ongoing support from the local community.
However, Mr Ey said there was a great deal of resistance “from nearly all residents” to Beach’s drilling activities.
“For the farmers, their land values will plummet, wiping out any value they may receive, as well as neighbouring properties who will not receive the benefit of any potential royalties,” he said.
“In terms of creating jobs in the region, all employees are fly in fly out workers and the only locals employed at the current site is the security guard at the front gate.
“Future sites will see access roads cutting through farm lands to the well sites so the supply trucks which have come down from Adelaide, rather than locally, can supply the town camps set up on site.”
Mr Ey said the Liberal Party’s proposed 10 year moratorium on fracking was “not worth the paper its written on”.
“The Labor opposition will give the green light when next in power,” he said.
“The Federal Liberal Government will also apply great pressure on the State Liberals to lift the moratorium.”
Despite Beach stating Haselgrove-3 would not be fracture stimulated, Mr Ey cited the company’s website as stating fracking would start as soon as the infrastructure is in place to do so.
