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The Daily Liberal article did not clearly explain the June Bill that Dugald Saunders voted against in NSW Parliament.
The Bill was moved by The Shooters And Fishers Party and required a moratorium be placed upon Santos CSG proceeding in the Pilliga until all of the Chief Scientists' recommendations from 2014 had been completed. 16 recommendations were required and of these, 14 have not been completed.
Mr Saunders, with the rest of his LNP members, voted "No" to this moratorium. This means that Santos can go ahead with 850 wells in a gas field which extends from the Queensland border to south of Gulgong, west to Coonamble and east to Scone. It is a huge area.
Whether Mr Saunders is happy for PELs to be opened or not is beside the point. He has voted with his government to allow coal seam gas to go ahead in his electorate.
That means all PELs can be granted and without any environmental laws, Aboriginal heritage consultation requirements, approved plans to remove tonnes of salt and toxic brine, or any agreements to remediate lost vegetation as contained in the Chief Scientists recommendations.
THIS is the Bill Mr Saunders voted against.
A gas-field is what Mr Saunders has delivered for his constituents. Pre-election he publicly promised that he would fight tooth and nail against the CSG industry in our community.
Meanwhile, insurance company IAG this month pulled out of insuring any farmers accommodating gas wells. The Dubbo electorate has been betrayed and sacrificed.
Margaret McDonald
Dubbo
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