Western Downs Field Trip
We tracked the debate to the source - where its impact is currently being felt on the towns and farms of the Western Downs. We interviewed a wide range of folks, from Senators to local politicians through farmers, activists and townsfolk. Many have intriguing and nuanced views on the Coal Seam Gas debate.
Should you have further interest in this issue, you can find out more on our project website, see some of our filmed interviews, read articles written by our team of experts, or check out the projects dedicated blog on the Crikey website.
Michael
We met with a third man called Michael, a friend of Debbie and Oscar's, who also owns a block on the Tara Estate. Michael is a wise and experienced person, originally from England. He has had the misfortune of being involved in an industrial accident involving toxic chemicals that damaged his health permanently. He suffers from emphysema and other chronic health issues. Michael came here to live a healthy and affordable lifestyle with his family. Michaels's story is not unusual on the Tara Estate - many people come here because of illness and poverty looking for somewhere they can survive. I must say, it's meeting people like this that makes it difficult to remain objective about the CSG industry. We have become increasingly aware that the industry's affect on health and community is of grave concern.
