URGENT – BLOCKADE AT CECIL PLAINS AGAINST ARROW ENERGY: Please pass on to your networks
Arrow Energy will be bringing exploratory drill rigs into a property at Cecil Plains next week.
This region is an extremely fertile area supplied by water from the Condamine Alluvium, which makes it a very productive cotton and grain area – in fact one of the most productive agricultural areas in the country.
The community has said from day one that they do not want Arrow (owned by Shell and PetroChina) onto this flood plain as it will cause serious depletion of their underground water resources and fragment their farming operations.
Arrow has told the government that this Condamine flood plain area at Cecil Plains has a large proportion of the gas across all their tenements and are insistent they will come on. If they can’t get onto this land they will withdraw their investment.
This is now crunch time. Either beautiful farm land like this is protected from resource activity or it becomes its victim like so much of the Hunter region and the Bowen Basin of Queensland. If they can come into Cecil Plains they can come onto the Liverpool Plains, the beautiful wine growing areas of the Hunter Valley, the beautiful tourism areas of the Northern Rivers or the dairy farming heartland of Gippsland.
Consequently, I am calling on all people concerned about the impact of coal seam gas to be on stand-by for a blockade at Cecil Plains. The local group (SODD) is likely to blockade the drilling, starting some time after next Wednesday August 22 and they will need our help.
Please put aside some time during the 2-3 weeks, after 22 August, to show your support. We need HUNDREDS of people there to show this company and the Queensland Government that the destructive march of this industry will be resisted by ordinary people. I will send out an email in the next few days with more precise details about times, place, directions and things to bring. We will try to organise buses and/or car pooling from Brisbane
Arrow is using its contacts to try to put it out there that they will make great compromises to meet the community’s demands. Do not fall for this. It is smoke and mirrors with no substance at all.
See you there.
Drew Hutton
President, Lock the Gate Alliance
Drew, We met in Gladstone some time ago (before the State Election).
I would like to talk to you about the Cecil Plains Blockage. Heard you with Alan Jones this monring.
Can you let me know how I can call you to discuss.
Graham
Drew Hutton, I have read your concerns and this is typical of the march of the Multi National company’s across our country with complete disregard of our laws. I would like to point out to you that all lands in “Australia” are covered by Pre-Eminent Title, this ancient law exists in other countries, even the countries that want to dig ours up. These exploration company’s must get permission from the Aboriginal owners to go onto the land, and the second part of permission must be agreed to by the land holder, ie farm owner. I hope this can be of some help to you and your cause, Ian Mackay