CSG: A remarkable effort GET-UP

It was what we feared all along. A coal seam gas project has poisoned an aquifer in north-west New South Wales, contaminating a catchment of groundwater.

Since hearing the news, the response from GetUp members has been resounding. In just a few days, more than 32,000 GetUp members signed the petition targeting gas giant Santos’ CEO. More amazing still, GetUp members who own shares in Santos came forward to demand the company withdraw its developments in the region.

On Friday, GetUp and The Wilderness Society delivered 161 resolutions from shareholders to Santos’ head office in Adelaide. Now, Santos must vote on whether to abandon their entire coal seam gas development in north-western NSW at their Annual General Meeting (AGM) in May.

Click here to see the media coverage of the campaign and be part of the action leading to the AGM.

https://www.getup.org.au/santos

No matter what happens at the AGM, Santos’ CEO and board now need to justify their projects and explain their environmental breaches to their shareholders. It’s a great first step in holding Santos to account for the health and environmental risks we’ve known coal seam gas mining holds all along.

By rallying so many of the company’s own shareholders, we’ve helped send a clear message — if Santos continues to ignore the science, they are at serious risk of losing the support of its investors.

Right now, Santos have 56 test wells operating in the area. From these wells alone, they have reported 16 spills or leaks, including the one which poisoned an aquifer. Despite its awful environmental record, Santos is planning to build 850 wells throughout the region.

Santos will decide on the future of the project at their AGM in May. The bigger we can grow our petition, the more shareholders we can alert to the harmful practices their company is conducting.

Click here to sign the petition that we’ll deliver to CEO David Knox in the lead up to Santos’ AGM.

https://www.getup.org.au/santos

This is a great first step in the campaign against Santos’ rapid expansion into north-western New South Wales. We’ll be in touch again soon with the next phase of the campaign as the Santos AGM approaches.

A big thank you and congratulations to our partner on this campaign, The Wilderness Society, without who’s hard work and great campaigning this never would have happened.

Thanks to you too, for all that you do.