NSW Minister for Resources Courtney Houssos has refused to rule out the use of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in Western NSW, including in the largest freshwater supply in Australia, the Great Artesian Basin. This comes after the Government reduced the application fee for petroleum (including gas) exploration licences by 98% on the same day as they announced their plan to open mining for gas in NSW.
In 2021, the Coalition Government released an assessment reportthat identified the Western NSW, areas that Labor have put on sale last week, are inaccessible to traditional drilling methods and would require hydraulic fracturing.
Greens MP Sue Higginson has given notice of a motion in Parliament to stop the Government from reducing the exploration application fee from $50,000 to $1,000.
Greens MP, Solicitor and spokesperson for Justice Sue Higginson said,
"Everyone in NSW should be concerned that the Minns Labor Government is ready to let our freshwater be poisoned and drained through fracking by gas corporations,"
"Fracking is one of the most damaging and polluting gas mining processes that has ever been employed, and every politician in NSW should be able to say clearly that they do not support fracking in our State,"
"Premier Minns' decision to chase a media headline by reducing gas exploration fees by 98% is already offensive to the people of NSW who are having our resources stripped away with barely any profit, but this refusal to rule out fracking is an existential threat to our future,"
"The Coalition Government walked away from this dangerous proposition of new gas fields in NSW, they even spent $25 million to buy back a gas licence from Metgasco in the Northern Rivers. People showed how harmful gas mining and fracking is, so it's hard to see how this Labor Government thinks there is a social licence to start this fight again,"
"I have a motion in Parliament to restore the exploration fees to $50,000, so overseas gas giants are not getting a free ride, but the real fight against fracking in NSW starts again right here,"
"The Government has confirmed that there are already gas companies rubbing their hands together over the prospect of new gas in NSW, and they have no interest in what is best for us,"
"This is a decision that impacts everyone. Our food security, our fresh water, the environment that we rely on, and public health and safety. Chris Minns has stepped too far and he should pull back now," Ms Higginson said.
