Environmental conflict and location : the case of the Moomba-Sydney gas pipeline

Abstract

This thesis is about environmental conflict in democratic societies. It is argued that a better understanding of the conditions that produce this sort of conflict can be achieved only by focusing on the complex decision-making process associated with the use of natural resources. Such an emphasis allows for a clearer exposition of the roles and relationships of the main participants in that process. The chosen theoretical perspective requires that a framework be established which allows links to be made between the phenomena of decision-making, conflict and power relations in society. It is also maintained that because the state is responsible for the management of resources, as well as for the resolution of conflicts arising from their ownership and use, it is necessary to lay stress on understanding the nature of the state in capitalist societies and the bases of its support. The analytical framework is therefore derived from certain theories of the state. The case of the Moomba-Sydney natural gas pipeline is examined for whatever support it lends to the theoretical arguments. The analysis is carried out in terms of the actions and reactions of the state, the firm and the individuals affected by the pipeline. Each of these agencies and actors was intimately involved in the controversy over the location of the pipeline within national parks in general and the Blue Mountains National Park in particular. The analysis corroborates the general arguments of the thesis. However, it also underlines the limitations of overarching and general theories that attempt to explain the relationships between the state, the firm and the community. The context of specific historical events is also a crucial variable which no theory can take completely into account.