State Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, said today’s announcement by the Government relating to onshore gas, followed the lead of the previous Coalition Government.

The announcement today put a permanent ban on onshore unconventional gas and fracking in Victoria and extended the current moratorium on exploration and development of conventional onshore gas until June 2020.

“It was the Coalition that implemented the initial ban on fracking when it was proceeding under the previous Labor Government, which initially imposed this industry on regional Victoria without any consultation with rural communities,” Mr Bull said.

“When we came to government in 2010, Labor had approved 23 fracking licences and 73 exploration licences. It was the Nationals in Coalition who stopped this in its tracks by making the initial tough call and implementing the moratorium after concerns were raised by our farming and rural communities.

“There have only been fracking licences approved in this State by one side of politics and that was Labor, so it is important history is not re-written here.

“Our farmers and rural communities are not only the backbone of our local economy here in East Gippsland, but critical to our state and nation and that is why we brought the ban in initially. In relation to the continuing conventional gas moratorium, this is the same timeframe as the Coalition announced last year.

“I await the further studies the Government has announced into conventional on-shore gas, which I would hope will commence and be finalised as soon as possible,” Mr Bull said.

Tuesday, August 30, 2016