Janelle Saffin (Page, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In my seat of Page, which includes the beautiful Northern Rivers area with some of the country's best agricultural lands, best horticultural produce, pristine areas and waters, including an interconnected river system and the mighty Clarence River, we have been under assault from CSG mining companies, and now gold mining is trying to move into the Kyogle area. Our state government's inadequate mining laws leave us and our farmers unprotected from this assault—not just farmers, but particularly farmers. It has been left to the federal government to protect our water.

I expect the amendment to our Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, our national environment law, to pass the Senate today. Of course, that is up to them, but it is listed for debate again this morning and could become law within a few weeks. This amendment will bring coal seam gas mining and large coalmining projects within the ambit of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. The mining companies and the state government, who have given approval and who are issuing the mining licences, will have to demonstrate that both water quality and water quantity are not negatively impacted—a tall order given how difficult that would be to prove. I do not see how they will be able to do that. When I read the National Water Commission position statement on coal seam gas mining that articulates 11 principles to be followed if it is to be done, it appears to be nearly impossible to do it. I have read other reports that they have issued as well. The CSIRO publication on water in 2011 had a chapter on water, coal seam gas mining and large coal mining, actually says that they do not know some of the impacts of this type of mining on water.

The member for Richmond Mrs Justine Elliot and I have joined forces to fight this threat. We are saying we have done what we can to protect us and our area in the Northern Rivers with the amendment to theEnvironment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999and now it is up to the state government to make an exclusion zone in our area. It has introduced some type of an exclusion zone but it really is inadequate and there is a lot of outs in it. It needs a blanket exclusion zone to make sure that coal-seam gas mining does not happen in the Northern Rivers. It is not an area that can sustain coal-seam gas mining. The honourable member for Richmond and I have a petition going and we are seeking 10,000 signatures. I thank the people for signing.