PRESS RELEASE 8 July, 2005 |
MRRA CALLS FOR “EES” FOR NATURAL GAS ROLL-OUT
Natural Gas Is Shaping Up To Be A ‘Natural Disaster’ |
Macedon Ranges Residents’ Association is calling on the State Government to undertake an Environment Effects Statement (EES) process for connecting the southern part of the Shire to natural gas. The call comes in response to the lack of information and public consultation about the impacts of this massive infrastructure project.
Macedon Ranges Council recently approved a ‘blank cheque’ planning permit for works and removal of native vegetation based on draft plans that showed where pipes could go. One thing the plans didn’t show was where or how much native vegetation will actually be removed.
“Half of Macedon Ranges Shire is affected by these works, and replacing mature native vegetation with seedlings, on this scale, isn’t on,” said MRRA Secretary, Christine Pruneau.
“Residents should also be alarmed that there doesn’t seem to be much information about what effect installing gas pipelines in our towns will have on our magnificent non-native street trees, for example in Station Road, New Gisborne.”
“Lack of consultation and information has been a stand-out feature of this project. Questions about costs and impacts have generally gone unanswered. The State government has got to be kidding if it thinks it can race in and rip up or rip out whatever stands in the way of delivering gas before the 2006 State election.”
“Residents have no idea of the damage and disruption they face. The pipeline goes under freeways, rivers and creeks, across roads and, apparently, even under a new flood levee bank in Woodend! The draft plans are littered with notations that the location of existing service lines are ‘unknown’, and Western Water sounds worried about its asbestos cement and vitreous clay pipes.”
“We’ve already seen so much of what we value lost to the Fast Rail project and the government’s refusal to protect Macedon Ranges from speculators and metro-style development. Before doing any more damage in Macedon Ranges, the Association believes there is a need for some accountability and transparency from the State government and in the absence of voluntary, comprehensive consultation and information, an EES seems the only way to have issues and impacts put squarely in the public arena.“ |