Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I thank Senator Colbeck for that statement. The cart is not before the horse; to some degree, the horse has bolted. The government has made a decision to give these projects the go-ahead. Yes, we are seeking information through this motion as to how the government could have made that decision. I am pleased to hear that the opposition will support paragraph (c). The first paragraph of this motion opposes the Santos and British Gas coal seam gas projects approved by the government because of the impact they do have on farmlands and other businesses in the Darling Downs and in that corridor between there and Gladstone. I would ask the mover of the amendment if he would allow paragraphs (a) and (b) to be considered separately; otherwise, I will move that this amendment be split into two so that the chamber can vote on each.

The second component of this is a call on the government, which has given the go-ahead to ensure full compensation to farmers and other existing businesses which lose productivity due to these projects. That is a quite separate matter to opposing the project. I agree that there are three very different elements in this motion and I would seek the mover of the amendment to simply have (a) and (b) considered separately.