Bill to Ban CBM Drilling Rejected by NSW Parliament

Parliament has rejected an attempt to impose a 12-month moratorium on drilling for coal-bed methane (CBM) in the Australian state of New South Wales.

A bill called Coal Seam Gas Moratorium bill 2011, which was introduced to the Legislative Council of the NSW parliament by Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham, was defeated by 19 votes to 16 in the state's upper house.

The move to introduce the bill came after the NSW government moved to restrict CBM drilling earlier this month.

The upper house of the NSW parliament is also looking into rules governing CBM drilling and production in the state. A 60-day moratorium on CBM activity was imposed by the government last year. It also banned hydraulic fracturing until the end of 2011.