Laws to be changed on CSG

Australian Party leader Bob Katter was astonished yesterday upon hearing of the outcome of the court case involving Drew Hutton who was found guilty of obstructing a Coal Seam Gas company without reasonable excuse.  

Mr Katter, along with State leader Aidan McLindon, Party President Rowell Walton and a number of candidates, attended the hearing in Dalby this week to show support for Mr Hutton as well as the thousands of land owners whose property rights are under threat by the CSG industry.

Having heard much of the argument by both sides, Mr Katter was shocked to hear Mr Hutton was found guilty and fined.

“It would be improper for myself to comment upon a judgement in the courts but I will not be making any secret or apologies to say in public that I would urge Mr Hutton’s Counsel to appeal.

“This case raises most serious issues and I will be having discussions with Aidan McLindon and with Party President Rowell Walton with a view to stating there will be changes to the law to protect land holders against what I can only describe as the arrogant aggression of the foreign owned CSG companies.

“They seem the think that they can do anything that they like, that they own the government and the parliamentary opposition and I don’t doubt that they do”, Mr Katter said.

President of the Party, Rowell Walton who hails from the area most affected by CSG and who was also at the court case, supported Mr Katter by saying the law should be and would be changed under Katter’s Australian Party.

“Clearly things are all upside down here and need to change. If you own the land, you should be able to decide what happens to it. It just seems so simple”, Mr Walton said.