Gas buyout: Northern Rivers hails people power

It was variously described as a monumental win for people power and a lost economic opportunity.

However, the one point of agreement was the offer made good business sense for the government, the taxpayer and the energy company.

Northern Rivers electorates swung heavily against the NSW Nationals in the March state election, when the Nationals were targeted over coal seam gas (CSG).

The Nats narrowly won Lismore as they were chased by the Greens, who took Ballina for the first time.

Civic leaders said the buyout represented a hard-earned solution.

Lismore mayor Jenny Dowell felt “total elation’” to see light at the end of the tunnel for her community which had expressed, in no uncertain terms, it did not want CSG development.

Even the famed Terania Creek battles in the 1970s to protect rainforest near Lismore wouldn’t be remembered to the same extent, she said.

“This fight united a community,” she said.

“Etched in my mind will always be the image of a long-haired, aged hippy with his arms around a sixth generation dairy farmer at one of the early community meetings about CSG.”

Richmond Valley Mayor Ernie Bennett agreed the community had rejected CSG, which he said made the buyback a “foregone conclusion”.

However, he said the loss of economic opportunity for the region shouldn’t be forgotten, he said.

The buyback was a lost opportunity for Peter Graham, the farmer who owns the land where the most controversial of Metgasco’s projects, the Rosella well at Bentley, was due to kick back into action before Christmas.

“When you see farmers in Queensland who, because of this industry, have some protection against extreme climatic conditions, a consistent annual income that goes to covering their fixed costs, and realise that farmers here are being denied that, it’s hard to understand,” he said.

“The NSW government has been lax in its ability to provide education to a community that is uninformed about the CSG industry, an industry that on a daily basis is now being proven safe.”

Cr Dowell said: “most people here recognise the CSG industry’s economic benefits to an area are shortlived – up to 15 years.”

Lock the Gate praised the government for the buyback, but warned the was no outright ban had been issued for the Northern Rivers.

"We are particularly grateful for the efforts of NSW National MPs who spoke out publicly on the issue, particularly Nationals' Chris Gulaptis and Ben Franklin," said national coordinator Carmel Flint.