The Greens have been successful initiating a NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into coal seam gas.
The Inquiry was initiated on 5 August by the General Purpose Standing Committee No. 5, will be conducted over six months and will report 6 April 2012.
The Inquiry has traveled to Queensland and across NSW to conduct site inspections and hold public hearings.
For more information on the inquiry, visit the official Parliamentary site.
The terms of reference are fairly broad and offer a good opportunity to get to the bottom of the social, environmental, economic and health impacts of the coal seam gas industry:
- The environmental and health impact of CSG activities.
- The economic and social implications of CSG activities including those which affect:
- The role of CSG in meeting the future energy needs of NSW.
- The interaction of the Act with other legislation and regulations, including the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991.
- The impact similar industries have had in other jurisdictions.
A guide to making submissions
Submissions close on 7 September 2011. Submissions can be sent to:
The Director
General Purpose Standing Committee No. 5
Parliament House
Macquarie St
Sydney NSW 2000
Fax: (02) 9230 2981
You can use the online submission process by going to this link
The NSW Parliament provides a guide to preparing submissions. In summary:
- There is no set format for a submission. It can be a letter (hand written or typed) or written in a formal submission/report style. A submission can also be made by audio or video tape.
- It is preferred if written submissions are typed with double spacing and page numbering
- You don’t need to cover all of the points in the inquiry Terms of Reference. Focus on the points that matter to you.
- Where possible use references to reports, studies and other information that can give weight to your opinions.
- Encourage your friends and family to write submissions too. It is important that the committee and the government in general see the weight of concern about this industry.
