Features Hypocrisy stinks on coal gas PAUL HOWES 1,033 words 1 January 2012 Sunday Telegraph SUNTEL 1 - State

35 English 2012 News Limited. All rights reserved. Manufacturing in Australia, employing nearly one million workers, is in crisis. And it's really hurting NSW. In 2011, BlueScope Steel laid off over 1000 workers at the Port Kembla steelworks. As a proportion of our gross domestic product, manufacturing slid to record lows. And on nearly every working day this year the AWU had to deal with manufacturing redundancies. This, obviously, is not good for workers, but it's also bad for business. So in an example of organised labour and capital working together, both the union movement and industry groups recognised the crisis, and asked the Prime Minister to take action -- which she did through the establishment of a Prime Ministerial Taskforce into manufacturing and associated measures. I am very hopeful that together we will be able to arrest the loss of jobs during 2012. But no matter how much the government intervenes, the reality is that while the Australian dollar remains as high as it is, manufacturing will struggle. It's the victim of the mining boom. Our terms of trade have skyrocketed on the back of the boom, and as global uncertainty has crippled global currencies, the Australian dollar has continued to appreciate in value. The dollar has now reached a point that outside of the resources sector, most other trade-exposed industries such as manufacturing, tourism and international education are virtually unprofitable. It's called a patchwork economy, or a two-speed economy, and while we can all be extremely grateful that Australia's natural resources have provided us with a soft landing, we also need to figure out a way to make the boom work for everyone. We need to create more jobs, and we need them not just in West ern Australia. We also need them here in NSW. In NSW we have plenty of industries in the ``slow'' lane, and we don't have the huge of reserves of iron ore, uranium and coal that Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland have. But we do have coal seam gas. It's a resource that will potentially create billions of dollars in revenue, and thousands of jobs for our state as well as generate electricity with 70 per cent less greenhouse gas emissions than coal. In Queensland they're already reaping the benefits of coal seam gas and there's no logical reason why we shouldn't. But the significant benefits of coal seam gas are under threat from a campaign run by unusual bedfellows hell-bent on destroying the industry, for very different reasons. A strange alliance of greenies, radio shock jocks, farmers and professional protesters has banded together to try to stop the development of coal seam gas in NSW. And while I agree it's a really stupid idea to start drilling for gas in built-up localities like Tempe and St Peters in Sydney's inner city, this doesn't mean we should give up on it altogether. Most of the arguments against CSG are based on incorrect interpretations of the law, NIMBYism and a brand of ``environmental'' extremism that is as illogical as it is dangerous. I have a lot of sympathy for farmers who are opposed to gas companies drilling on their land. My wife grew up in the country and I can understand the concerns of families who are worried about their farms. But many of the farmers involved in the campaign have been arguing that, despite hundreds of years of law to the contrary, what lies beneath the land belongs to them in perpetuity. Page 1 of 2 2012 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved.

But sadly, it does not. None of us individually own what's under the ground -- we all own it, collectively. Therefore our elected representatives have the legal right to create laws and regulations to allow for the exploitation of resources underground for the common good. If that wasn't the case then how could we build tunnels, lay electricity and fibre optic cables or have developed significant mineral resource projects? It's ironic, though, that the Greens, who are all in favour of Aboriginal land rights, and who campaign for the confiscation of private land to create national parks, are now also supporting the views of some farmers who say that their land can never be used for any purpose other than what they want. That they can, in effect, lock the gate on the government. It is an inconsistent position from an inconsistent party. And farmers are being manipulated by the Greens for their own political advantage. But it's not just the Greens -- all state political parties have got themselves into a muddle on this issue. The Coalition are in a right mess. Barry O'Farrell knows perfectly well that coal seam gas can bring in buckets of lucre, which he needs right now, as well as create loads of jobs in towns that are dying the slow death of youth unemployment. But the Nationals have no such compunction and offer extremely conflicting views on whether or not they support coal seam gas. It seems to depend on who they're talking to -- industry, or farmers. NSW Labor was good on this issue in government, they were the key drivers in regulating the industry and granting exploration licences. But now in opposition they have decided, like the Greens, to exploit the fears in the community and try to gain electoral advantage by calling for a moratorium on the sector. Federal and Queensland Labor continue to recognise the benefits of the gas with the potential for jobs, revenue and lowering our carbon emissions. It's not always a popular position to take. Unfortunately it seems that NSW Labor has been either spooked by the Greens or bullied into a position by some radio shock jock. If NSW Labor wants to rebuild its credibility it needs to do it by having the courage of its convictions, not be tempted to take the easy road of shallow populism. Coal seam gas might not be popular. But if we want to make NSW great again, we must use the resources that are here. Even if they are behind a locked gate. >> Paul Howes is national secretary of the AWU Document SUNTEL0020111231e8110005l

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