The Lock The Gate Alliance used the rally at Ministers Park yesterday and several others throughout the country to endorse several principles including a freeze on all coal seam gas mining until a Royal Commission can assess the

impacts.

More than 75 people heard four speakers, from organisations including Rising Tide and the Wilderness Society, talk about the importance of the environment and holding onto agricultural land.

Eastern Star Gas wants planning approval from the state and federal governments for the delivery of gas from Narrabri to Kooragang Island.

The pipeline would come from Coolah into Newcastle and run through the Maitland area.

Following the speeches, the alliance endorsed six principles they want the state and federal governments to instigate.

The Lock The Gate Alliance wants the government to guarantee the protection of all residential, rural and closely settled areas as well as good agricultural land.

They have also called for the protection of environmentally sensitive areas and for landowners to have the last word on whether mining occurs.

They say the technology involved in coal seam gas mining has “raced ahead” of the science and legislative frameworks that regulate mining activity.