Journal article
Mapping the social movement against coal seam gas development in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia
Law Review, Vol.19, pp.77-104
2018
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Abstract
This paper describes how social resistance emerged between 2010 and 2016, in response to coal seam gas (CSG) industry development in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. Social responses to existing and proposed coal seam gas developments led to the formation of a substantial social movement, for which events are conceptualised and structured using the Movement Action Plan (MAP) model. Moyer’s (2001) MAP model describes eight main stages of social movements, from ‘normal times’, through to ‘success’ and ‘continuing the struggle’. The model also provides a useful frame for describing the key roles required to achieve successful and broad social mobilisation, which is discussed in the Northern Rivers context. Growing from a small seed of discontent in the Western Downs region of South-East Queensland, this social movement ultimately led to broad scale social licence
withdrawal for the coal seam gas industry in the Northern Rivers region. It also led to the creation of a broad and complex network of associations and social identities, extending well beyond the local region. The international growth of a social movement against the unconventional gas industry appears to be re-fuelling the momentum of the global environmental justice movement. This paper explores when and how the industry’s social licence was withdrawn. There are important learnings from this case study that can inform government policy on ways to improve community engagement in land use planning, to avoid such extreme cases of social licence withdrawal in the future.
Details
- Title
- Mapping the social movement against coal seam gas development in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia
- Creators
- Hanabeth Luke - Southern Cross UniversityDavid Lloyd - Southern Cross University
- Publication Details
- Law Review, Vol.19, pp.77-104
- Publisher
- Southern Cross University
- Identifiers
- 991012863197702368
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering; School of Environment, Science and Engineering; Science
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article