Last week, Council held a special briefing about Coal Seam Gas. The purpose of the meeting was to have a presentation from representatives of the Department of Primary Industries (DPI), so that councillors and the community could find out more about this issue.
The possibility of Coal Seam Gas exploration occurring in our region is of concern to many people.  It was important to provide a forum where interested parties could find out information on this contentious issue.

Braving the stormy weather, about 60 people attended and listened to thorough presentations about the Coal Seam Gas industry. The first speaker, Andrew Radojkovic, explained the regulatory framework of Coal Seam Gas exploration and mining.  The second presentation by Geoff Collins focused on the geology and science.

There is not the space here to explain the detail of these presentations. We were however told that while some  licences to explore currently exist in Bass Coast, there are no current applications to mine before the DPI for Coal Seam Gas.

It was explained that due to the nature of the coal in our region, it would not be a high priority for the commercial mining sector to conduct exploration in Bass Coast.

Like most people in the room, I attended this meeting to gain a better understanding of Coal Seam Gas. I was pleased to see that members of the audience came with very valid concerns, sat through these technical presentations and raised their questions in an orderly manner.

Reasonably, several questions posed were about potential threats to land and livelihoods. These questions were raised, shared with everyone and responded to by the speakers.

It is an important role for Council to provide community forums such as this. It is an opportunity to share facts and conversation on matters of interest or concern, and this assists in better decision making processes for all.

Cr Veronica Dowman, Mayor
Bass Coast Shire Council