VIC:Vic woman's farm at mercy of coal miners

AAP General News (Australia)
08-15-2011
VIC:Vic woman's farm at mercy of coal miners

By Belinda Merhab

MELBOURNE, Aug 15 AAP - As the Australian Greens prepare to introduce legislation giving
farmers the right to deny coal seam gas miners access to their land, a Victorian woman
is waiting to hear whether her land will be at the mercy of miners.

Kate Tubbs and her husband grow wheat and barley and run a harness racing stable on
their 100-hectare property near Bacchus Marsh, west of Melbourne.

Last month, she was told that Western Australian minerals exploration company Mantle
Mining would drill 15 holes in her area, including a 20-by-10-metre hole just outside
her property.

If this hole was rejected by VicRoads, the company would need to cut into her fence
and onto her property.

"We didn't really know anything that was going on until someone found out that an exploration
licence had been granted to put drill-hole sites in our area," Mrs Tubbs told AAP on Monday.

"There were ads in the local paper and one in a city paper but where we live, nobody
gets the local paper delivered.

"I made it quite clear that it wasn't an option.

"(They said) if you refuse to let us on your land the government has made rules that
allow us to come in."

In an ASX announcement on August 11, the company said that "the low-impact drilling
workplan was approved on August 3 and drill rig mobilisation is expected to occur within
the next two weeks".

The company said the project area contained a large exploration target of brown coal
surrounding the nearby Maddingley coal mine.

Mrs Tubbs is now awaiting a decision by VicRoads on whether the project will be allowed
to continue as planned, or whether the company will have to cut into her land.

According to legal advice, she can take the matter to the Victorian Civil and Administrative
Tribunal (VCAT).

"In the end, we all know what happens when things go to VCAT," said Mrs Tubbs.

"They have got us over a barrel because we couldn't afford to go to the Supreme Court.

"If they can't get their way on the VicRoads side, then they will come in and it isn't fair.

"We know that we won't be able to put horses down that end of the farm and it's quite
a peaceful place and to have drilling happening from 7.30 in the morning to 5.30 at night...

it will be a big imposition and it just doesn't seem right that they can do it."

The Greens have flagged legislation that will require miners to obtain the written
permission of landholders before exploring and extracting energy deposits.

But Greens Senator Larissa Waters said her legislation would be limited to coal seam
gas miners only, not to open-cut coal mines on prime agricultural land.

AAP bm/gfr/jsh

KEYWORD: CSG VIC

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