VISITING State Members of Parliament have been urged not to allow gas companies to jeopardise the South East's rich natural resources for unconventional gas extraction.
On Wednesday last week, the Natural Resources Committee - comprising Steph Keys, Gerry Kandelaars, Chris Picton, John Dawkins and Robert Brokenshire - were met by nearly 100 protestors outside the Robe District Council Chambers, vehemently opposed to any move to allow fracking.
The committee - which has received more than 170 submissions on the issue - heard evidence from Robe District Council mayor Peter Riseley, local farmers, Naracorte-based veterinarian Geoff Manefield, and University of NSW Public Health Associate Professor Melissa Haswell, as part of its ongoing Inquiry.
Mr Riseley made a strong plea for elected representatives to listen to the concerns of the community.
"The whole issue of fracking in the SE is very much based on the premise of jobs, revenue, returns and the like, but this region has provided for 150 years very substantial returns to the state's coffers," he said.
"About $3 billion of food, fibre and agricultural production (per year) all comes from this region.
"Why jeopardise touching low profiles of gas within the SE and harming any of that food production capacity, when there are massive reserves in dry areas which is not suitable for agriculture?"
Mr Riseley urged the NRC to listen to the strong opposition highlighting the 74 road declaration scrolls he had received in his community alone, with surveys by the Limestone Coast Protection Alliance showing 94 per cent opposed to gas and invasive mining.
"Never in my time in council have we received submissions (more than 38) to the degree we have on this one," he said.
Mount Benson beef producers Merilyn Paxton and John Brook questioned whether fracking would become the "asbestos, tobacco or thalidomide" of this century and could not see why SA would not follow NSW, Vic and Tasmania's lead in imposing a moratorium on fracking."Since 2011, fracking has been rejected around the world due to environmental risks, risks to human health and livestock, contamination of water, loss of income and destruction of communities," they said.
They were also concerned about the potential loss of sales of livestock and crops due to perceived or actual contamination.
However NRC committee member Mr Kandelaars said they had heard no evidence of decreased sales among areas of SW Qld, such as Roma and Dalby, where mining and beef production coexisted.
The NRC spent four days in the CSG-producing area recently, hearing about the social, environmental and economic impacts.
Mrs Paxton responded quickly to this.
"We used to run an Angus stud and had cattle sales on our property," she said.
"If I had a gas well on my property down on my neighbours' boundary, my sales would drop off.
"I personally would not go to a property to buy bulls where I saw a gas well next door, even if it is only a perceived risk and probably most of the farmers here would agree."
She said major regulatory changes were needed and greater powers to protect landholders' rights.
A better alternative to gas was to embrace renewable energy with SA already recognised as a "renewable energy leader".
Nearly a quarter of SA's power customers have already got solar and SA provides 40 per cent of its total demands through wind and solar with huge investment
"The state's renewable target is 50pc by 2025, why can't we make it 100pc by 2020 - we are half way there already," Mrs Paxton said.
"Gas is finite. Wind and solar will be here forever and will be cheaper for industry and domestic use and create jobs."
Member for Ashford and NRC presiding member Steph Keys said as a protestor on many issues within her own electorate, she was impressed by how the Robe community had come together in their opposition.
She said the committee was working hard to hear from everyone and aimed to produce an interim report late this year.