Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for her answer and I ask a supplementary question. Minister, you addressed the fact that potential mining activities could have impacts on the environment, on arable land and particularly on water resources. My question went to the fact that current exploration practices are actively damaging these water resources, so the issue of mining down the track is one thing; the issue of exploration occurring right now is in fact the harming the water resources of the region. So I ask whether the study that you refer to has actually commenced—the one that the federal government has put a down payment on—and whether it is assessing the current damage being caused by existing exploration practices. Will the minister ensure that there will be no damage to the water resources of this region due to current exploration practices?