Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Joyce, I move:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes the decision by the New South Wales and Queensland governments to allow coal exploration near Caroona, in the centre of the Liverpool Plains, near Gunnedah, and other proposed mining ventures at the Haystack Plains on the Darling Downs, Queensland;

(b)

acknowledges the concern expressed by some local farmers and members of the local communities about this exploration; and

(c)

calls on the respective state governments to ensure that appropriate and thorough independent environmental assessments, including the impact on groundwater systems, are undertaken in advance of any approval to mine in these regions of high agricultural significance.

Question agreed to.