Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development) Bill 2012. What this bill seeks to do is to establish an expert scientific committee to provide specific scientific advice to federal, state and territory governments on coal seam gas and large coalmining developments where they may have significant impacts on water.

I speak on this bill because I actually do not know any of the answers to the questions my constituents put to me. My constituents in the electorate of Paterson and surrounding areas quite regularly come to me and raise a number of issues—in particular, about chemical and hydraulic fracking. I am not a geologist; nor am I a hydrologist. I actually do not understand these impacts, and I cannot answer on them. I am actually quite glad that this government will spend $150 million establishing a scientific committee. But I do ask that that scientific committee has a broad and deep range of people who are not just biased in a single direction, as we saw in much of the climate change debate where it was quite regularly said to us, 'The overwhelming opinion of this scientific committee is this.'

I would prefer that this committee was established on expertise and had a broad range of opinions. Perhaps that is why I am actually encouraged by the motion that has been foreshadowed by the member for Groom, Ian Macfarlane, where he wants to insert that the minister must also ensure that the majority of members possess scientific qualifications and expertise in one or more of the following areas: geology, hydrology, hydrogeology and ecology. This is critically important. The last thing that I would like to see is this government establish a committee that just basically produces a snowball effect.

I also refer to some of the great work being done by Senator Bill Heffernan, who chaired an inquiry into the management of the Murray-Darling Basin, including the impacts of coal seam mining. The inquiry covered areas including:

In my electorate, next to the impact of the carbon tax this is perhaps one of the most strongly discussed and debated issues there are. There are issues primarily because people feel that their land rights are being infringed. There are issues because people have concerns over our prime agricultural land being consumed for mining and coal seam gas, and about the longer-term food security for our nation—indeed, not only for our nation, given the amount of agricultural product that we export and the increasing number of mouths to feed, particularly in Australia and to the north of us.

People also come to me concerned about the stretch up the Bucketts Way, all the way from the Pacific Highway down near Limeburners Creek up through Allworth and Stroud to the watershed, Craven, and then further on to what used to be in my electorate around through Gloucester and the Barrington Tops, which is now in the member for Lyne's seat, where companies are now implementing test drilling for coal seam gas. A number of leases and exploration licences were handed out by the former state Labor government just immediately prior to the election. The community is up in arms. I can understand that, and I share their concerns. In fact, I have been to a couple of meetings with the Lock the Gate group and listened to their concerns.

As I said right at the beginning of this speech, I do not have the answers for them, because I actually do not understand all of the arguments or have the quality research. It is easy to find the research which is pro fracking. We have already seen instances in our area where the mining has occurred. There is probably no stronger supporter of the mining industry in Australia for the jobs and the economic benefit it brings, but whenever the community has genuine concerns then I have to raise those on their behalf. And I have concerns because I do not have enough knowledge about the impacts on our aquifers.

There is a saying: there are no second chances at first impressions. If the homework and the scientific research is not done and the answers are not known before we go down this path and, perhaps, either upset the flow of the subcutaneous aquifers or indeed pollute them, there could be long-term effects that could never be redressed. There are no second chances at first impressions, so we must get it right if we are to go down this path.

The other thing that concerns me is that there seems to be a massive acceleration of the need to get the coal seam gas out of the ground. It is almost an at all costs approach and that is being driven by the economic fortunes of rising companies rather than the need to supply demand for our gas. We need to tread very carefully on this. My primary concern is the wellbeing of my constituents and of the environment in which we live. Steps taken without proper and adequate research based on full independent analysis only increase my concerns. I have seen documentaries that have shown that, through chemical fracking, there has been pollution of the subcutaneous aquifers which has then gone into the dams. We have to acknowledge that Australia is a relatively dry nation—but somehow, in a lot of areas, we seem to farm it as though it is a wet nation. We rely on our water storage for our dams and our agricultural industry, whether that is growing food or producing beef or lamb. Our communities are very finely and sensitively balanced. At times it is not the most ecologically viable business to be in but these people who farm our lands are absolutely passionate about what they do. They are passionate about their farms, their communities and the environment in which they live.

Quite often we hear various focus groups attacking farmers for not being environmentalists. In my dealings with the farmers in our communities I find that they are some of the strongest environmentalists that I know. They understand that if we do not treat our land well then it will not produce for the future—whether it is rotating crops, making sure they plant the right crops to give longevity to the land and make it sustainable, making sure they are not over-irrigating, making sure they are not overfertilising, or adhering to good runoff practices which can affect the water supply to others downstream.

So I say to this government: as you establish this committee, pay heed to the wise words of the member for Groom, Mr Macfarlane, who has put forward in an amendment suggestions about people to include, which will be debated a bit later on. The second thing I say to you, as you establish this committee, is: make sure that it is not a biased community with a predetermined outcome in their findings. Most importantly, in working with the state, territory and local governments, make sure that you take the community on the journey with you so that they have a full understanding of the process and the science if this coal seam gas is to be extracted in their communities. So far all I have seen is division in my community. People feel that they are not informed and that their land rights to property they own are being set aside for the sake of someone who holds an exploration licence or a licence to extract on their property. There are a number of these coal seam gas basins or deposits throughout Australia and I do not think there needs to be any rush to extract coal seam gas from them in areas which are prime agricultural areas or where there is heavy residential or farm style build-up. There are plenty of areas which are broadscape from which the gas can be extracted.

I hope that the government acknowledges the contribution of all members of this House and their concerns on behalf of their constituents; and I hope that the coalition can work with the government to achieve an outcome that, in the long term, supports and benefits our community and the industry alike. I commend this bill to the House and I will be supporting the amendment foreshadowed by my colleague the member for Groom.

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