Most of our clients have in investment in climate change, some as large fuel producing companies trying to get along with the community, other as organisations or companies working to reduce their impact.
Take our friends in the Hunter Valley – one of the worlds premium wine growing areas – the Hunter Valley Protection Alliance. They are campaigning to stop this latest rush to drill for coal seam gas in their vineyards.
Now these aren’t mad greenies; most of the key players are businessmen who’ve made enough in the city to afford at least a small vineyard.
Our strategy for the wine industry is to first make sure our argument is the correct one, then develop media activity. This creates community awareness, which ultimately creates the tension and inertia that persuades our politicians to create change.
Silly that the obvious takes so much.
At issue is lack of planning.
The Hunter Valley in New South Wales produces some of the world’s award winning wines and, as a result, is also this state’s second (after Sydney) most visited tourist destination.
But the Valley also lies within a giant saucer shaped coal deposit.
Secrecy and lack of community consultation has been a feature of the gas companies in the rush for coal seam gas. And a lack of planning has been a feature of the governments.
First develop some reasonable planning constraints
Second, find out if there is a risk that these drill holes tare doing damage to the water table.
