LIMESTONE Coast Protection Alliance members will attend State Parliament tomorrow to witness debate on a Bill introduced by Independent Member for Mount Gambier MP Troy Bell.
Mr Bell has introduced legislation into the lower house to have a 10-year moratorium on fracking in the South East legislated.
Meanwhile, LCPA committee members met with Liberal Member for MacKillop Nick McBride at his Naracoorte office last week to discuss legislation for the Liberal Party’s election promise of a 10-year moratorium on fracking.
LCPA chair Angus Ralton outlined the reasons for the meeting.
“Although we made Mr McBride aware that we are still opposed to any form of gas exploration or extraction in the South East, we explained that a legislated moratorium on fracking was our priority,” Mr Ralton said.
“We believe this will be a major deterrent to mining companies looking to extract gas in the region.
“It was a meeting that was mutually beneficial as we exchanged information that is useful to both parties.
“We provided Mr McBride with evidence of problems with emissions, surface and groundwater, waste water, public health and earthquakes which we hope he will share with his parliamentary colleagues to convince them that legislation is required.”
Mr Ralton said the association also made a passing reference to the many large businesses in Australia which are either building their own renewable energy power facilities or contracting to power purchase agreements with other renewable energy facilities.
“We believe that this could be a solution for industry in the South East to combat expensive power bills,” he said.
Mr McBride backed the decade-long legislated ban, saying it would provide South East residents with confidence in the future.
“We know the way the community feels about fracking and the risks associated with it,” he said.
“A legislated moratorium will be better for the region as it will look after the sentiment and general consensus of the community.”
The first-term MP said he would seek support for the legislative moratorium in the party room.
“It is going to need the Liberal Party to be on board because the Labor Party are not going to support it,” he said.
