Mediaboss Marketing

The South Australian Liberal Party has lived up to an election promise by announcing an inquiry into a shale gas industry proposed for the south-east.

The Opposition last month drew criticism for voting against a Greens motion for a parliamentary inquiry after promising to support one prior to the state election in March.

It argued that the Greens motion would affect the entire state and not just the south-east where exploratory drilling and fracking had been taking place on two sites near Penola.

The region was heavily earmarked by the State Government for shale gas extraction - a form of mining that relies entirely on the controversial process of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking - sparking wide-spread protests from farmers, vignerons, local government and community members concerned about groundwater.

Mount Gambier Liberal MP Tony Bell planned to move a motion for an inquiry in the Lower House next week, where it would require the support of independents Geoff Brock and Martin Hamilton-Smith, a former Liberal, to succeed.

The South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy criticised the Liberals' push, saying it was playing into the hands of a group of "hardcore greens activists".

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis said the Government would not support the motion and either would the two independents - both of whom held positions in Labor's Cabinet.

But Opposition Leader Steven Marshall said his party's motivation for a parliamentary inquiry was to ease community concern about the issue.

"I don't think there's anything that anybody should fear about this," he said.

"In fact, I think that the companies involved should welcome this because I think it will allow everybody a chance for their information to be put on the table."

See the original post here:
SA Liberals to push for fracking inquiry as stakeholders blame 'hardcore greens activists'