Friends of the Earth media release. May 27, 2015

In an extraordinary move, The Nationals have voted against a Greens Amendment to the Onshore Unconventional Gas Inquiry .

 When the Terms of Reference (TOR) were debated in Parliament last night, The Greens suggested a range of amendments to the TOR:

- looking into the benefits of a permanent ban on unconventional gas in Victoria
- looking into the capacity of regulators to manage the industry effectively
- considering the costs of any clean up after a contamination event

The Greens also proposed to extend the dates of the Inquiry by three months.

Accidental activist Dayne ‘The Frackman’ Pratzky takes us on a journey through a divided land as we meet people caught up in a modern day multinational gold rush – to secure and exploit coal seam gas.

From conservative landowners, to radical activists and town-dwelling families, this unlikely coalition of Australians has come together to fight for their communities, their health, their land and their future.

Friends of the Earth media release. February 25, 2015.

The Victorian National Party has announced that it supports farmers having the right to veto gas drilling operations on their land.

“We are heartened to see the Nationals strengthen their position on the issue of unconventional gas” said Friends of the Earth campaigns co-ordinator Cam Walker. “However, because of the invasive nature of gas drilling and fracking, and the potential for contamination of ground water supplies, drilling is not just an issue for individual farmers. A drill on a property can have serious impacts on neighbours.”

The Victorian election will be held on November 29, 2014.

While the main Parties look set to run a ‘bread and butter’ election – focusing on issues like education, health, infrastructure and the economy, there is also a pressing need to make environmental concerns an issue at this election.

FoE is not aligned with any political party. Its mission is to gain protection for the natural environment, and elections present a great opportunity to promote a policy agenda which will help gain these protections.

The 2014 State election will set the agenda for environment and climate policy for years to come. So it’s time to put the major parties to the test on climate and environment.

Who are the people that want this power and how do they intend to use it?

Come and hear the major parties put forward their case for why they deserve your vote. We’ve invited each major party to explain their philosophies and outline their policies for the climate and our environment.

Starting Tues 23 September.

Friends of the Earth media release. September 4, 2014

The government of the Canadian Province of Nova Scotia has just announced that it intends to introduce legislation to prohibit hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’) in shale oil and gas projects. The legislation will replace a moratorium on fracking imposed by the previous government.

Farmland Not Gaslands is an empowering, short documentary that looks at the growing community movement against invasive unconventional gas projects planned for Gippsland and Western Victoria.

The inspiring stories of these rural communities and what they must fight to protect. The brave, united stance being taken by communities across the state as people from all walks of life stand together to fight to protect our water, our food security, farmland, human health and the environment.

It will be launched in Melbourne on Thursday Sept 11 and in Sale on Saturday September 13.

There is a rally and march being held this Sunday, 10 August 2014, at 11am in Anglesea.

Please stand with Anglesea residents as they unite to reclaim their town from coal mining.

The state government has announced a consultation process to determine community attitudes to onshore gas drilling. This includes the ‘unconventional’ gases – CSG, tight gas and shale gas.

We appreciate that the government wants to hear from the community. Our experience is that regional communities do not want this industry unleashed on their lands. And experience from overseas and interstate shows that this industry has a deeply negative impact on farming wherever it gets established.

Friends of the Earth media release. June 24, 2014

An Australia Institute report released today shows the remarkable level of support given to the mining industry by state governments.

It shows that each state provides millions of dollars’ worth of assistance to mining industries every year and that over a six-year period, state governments in Australia spent $17.6 billion supporting the mineral and fossil fuel industries.

What is surprising is the support given by the Victorian government. $206 million over six years.