LANDHOLDERS in Western Victoria have ramped up the "Lock the Gate" campaign on the back of the State Government's announcement to extend a moratorium on fracking to all onshore oil and gas wells for the rest of the year.
Nine towns have hosted meetings aimed to inform landholders of the potential issues with unconventional gas exploration around the Green Triangle region of south-east South Australia and south-west Victoria.
Each small town meeting has attracted support from an average 100 farmers and landowners that has resulted in the mass roll-out of yellow 'Lock the Gate' trespassing signs on gates.
"This is a food production area; we need to lock it up and make sure it is secure despite what the government believes about selling our energy," Lock the Gate Casterton co-ordinator Jody Darcy said.
"This region has been mapped for coal seam gas, fracking and shale gas for the past 30 to 40 years so what it means is that this whole geological area's energy rights have been sold.
"Gippsland has been able to lock their gates because the community has united together so what we are trying to do is promote that united-front and lock out the major gas companies which are generally overseas companies."
The move comes as the Victorian Farmers Federations calls on the government to further extend the current moratorium for another year.
"What we are saying to them is that we don't want the wells, we don't want them to go through our water or through our farms because we don't believe it is good for Australian and certainly not for this food production region," Mr Darcy said.
"There has been a 12-month moratorium on new licensing and drilling approvals but our fear is that if we don't get out there prior to the government's spin doctors coming in and saying to people just the positives and not mentioning the failures - the water problems, the gas issues, the health effects of this thing - could be detrimental to not just them but the entire region."
Mr Darcy said community consultation surrounding the Lock the Gate campaign had begun in the Casterton region to educate landholders of the potential benefits and issues surrounding CSG, fracking and shale gas exploration.
"What we are hoping will happen is that the government will sit there and understand what our fears are, what our concerns are and not just worry about their own commitments to fulfil their gas contracts," he said.
"We are giving an honest opinion and we're not just a group of radicals saying this is all bad, we are trying to say to the people that this is what happens and we know that based on evidence."
In May, Energy Minister Russell Northe announced a hold on work plan approvals for onshore gas exploration until more information was available from studies that were under way.
As a result of community concern around current gas exploration licences, Mr Northe said the moratorium extension would put a hold on approving current on shore gas exploration plans.
In Victorian, CSG is regulated under mining rather than petroleum laws.
However, following the government's decision to halt exploration for CSG in Victoria, the Minerals Council of Victoria released a damning statement saying governments should rely on sound science rather than listening to activists.
"The decision to rely on a national framework for CSG exploration is concerning. Given the progress of other efforts to establish national laws, this framework may be delayed for years," the MCV statement said.
"If this were so Victoria would be turning its back on an industry that could generate thousands of jobs and provide significant taxation revenue for the State."
Annabelle Beale
National Sheep & Wool Writer for Fairfax Agricultural Media
National Sheep & Wool Writer for Fairfax Agricultural Media
