Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Hansard source

Essentially, I think the tenor of Senator Ludlam’s question is: will the Commonwealth override and take control of all mining operations in Australia via the corporations power? That is essentially the tenor of the question. That is not the case. We have put forward funding to support much improved, we hope, methodology and much improved information about the impact on groundwater. I have answered the question in relation to exploration licences and I have also referred to the fact that obviously exploration licences are fundamentally a state responsibility. We do have a view about the importance of state governments ensuring that these issues are properly assessed. I have said that publicly. I have said that in this place and I have said that in the context of the debate in this place on the Water Bill, and for that reason we have also put money on the table to enable that kind of study to proceed.