MOVES for a 12 month moratorium on coal seam methane gas mining may lead to the industry being permanently banned in Hunter Valley vineyard areas, according to gas extraction opponent Graeme Gibson. His community group, The Hunter Valley Protection Alliance, intends calling for the ban in a submission to a public inquiry which would be part of the moratorium. The Greens mining spokesman Jeremy Buckingham tabled a bill in State Parliament last Friday requesting a 12 month moratorium on coal gas development throughout New South Wales and a public inquiry into its potential impacts. Mr Buckingham told The Singleton Argus yesterday that his bill was prompted by a growing groundswell of concern about gas mining’s environmental impacts, including groundwater and agricultural land pollution plus potential adverse effects on human health. “We need to stop the granting of any more exploration and production licenses in NSW and then have something like a parliamentary Upper House or Select Committee inquiry into the impacts,” Mr Buckingham said.