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A Coonamble farmer lobbying against coal seam gas mining in the Pilliga State Forest region is advising Dubbo farmers to band together and establish a Lock the Gate member group.
A petroleum exploration licence has been taken out for a 9400 kilometre area including Dubbo, Narromine, Gilgandra, Dunedoo and Gulgong by the company CEEMAC Pty Ltd. It could be 12 months before a decision is made on the application and there is no guarantee it will lead to coal seam gas mining but Anne Kennedy said farmers shouldn't wait until it is too late.
Ms Kennedy has been a vocal opponent to the CSG exploration that is being done by Santos and is a member of the Lock the Gate Alliance, who have stepped up their opposition since it was confirmed on Saturday that groundwater had been contaminated in the area.
"I would encourage farmers around Dubbo to get together and join Lock the Gate because they are in a similar situation to where we were and once it starts, it's very hard to stop it," he said.
"I'm not radical, I'm not anti-mining, I'm a conservative and a 66-year-old grandmother of 11 but I have extensively researched coal seam gas and now that I know what I do, I can't forget it."
Ms Kennedy said she would like to talk to anyone in Dubbo who is looking for more information about coal seam gas. She is unhappy with Member for Dubbo Troy and the National Party because she feels they aren't representing the people on the issue.
"I have heard Troy Grant talking and he says he has the facts and the Greens are scaremongering but Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham is the one who has been over to the US to see the effects of CSG. He urged other politicians to go over and have a look for themselves and see what it has done," Ms Kennedy said.
Lock the Gate is holding a science forum at Parliament House on March 25 where they say they have water, environmental and legal experts who will present evidence that CSG mining is dangerous and Ms Kennedy said she would like to see Mr Grant and his parliamentary colleagues attend.
"I don't know about the individual opinions of National Party members but they are all towing the party line that coal seam gas is fine if it is done properly but we have seen in the Pilliga that isn't the case."