Australia’s government has just approved plans to conduct exploratory mining for coal seam gas in the Pilliga Forest, putting koalas, the Pilliga mouse and other rare wildlife in danger.
The plans involve drilling 36 pilot wells, the felling of 400 hollow-bearing trees – which form vital koala habitat - the removal of over 200 orchids and the possible contamination of groundwater.
Despite the fragility of the habitat and the scale of the plans, the federal environment minister Greg Hunt has decided that a proper environmental impact assessment is not necessary and the plans can go straight ahead.
This lax attitude, in which the convenience of industry seems to be regarded as far more important than the conservation of Australia’s wildlife, is completely unacceptable.
Enough of the mining free-for-all. Tell Mr Hunt to call an immediate halt to this potentially devastating project.
We the undersigned ask that you immediately suspend Santos’ coal seam gas plans for Pilliga Forest until, at the very least, a full environmental impact assessment has been carried out.
These plans include the felling of 400 hollow-bearing trees and the removal of up to 235 orchids, actions which in themselves cannot be described as benign. The 36 exploratory wells planned threaten groundwater.
If this project goes ahead, we fear it would be the start of a mining free-for-all, with companies more or less allowed to do whatever they like, with little or none of the applicable environmental legislation enforced.
It is completely unacceptable to disregard Australia’s irreplaceable wildlife and natural habitats for the convenience of industry, and we ask that you stop.
Please suspend this project and do not allow any similar ones to go ahead without full impact assessments.
Thank you for your attention.
