Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Hansard source

The definition in the act as it stands states:

coal seam gas development means any activity involving coal seam gas extraction that has, or is likely to have, a significant impact on water resources …

So it does not actually define 'coal seam gas extraction' per se—unless you are able to point me to another provision in the act that does specifically define 'coal seam gas extraction'. Whilst, in industry parlance, it is probably widely accepted that coal seam gas is one thing and shale gas extraction is another, I am wondering if the government's interpretation of that definition, which largely defines 'coal seam gas development' as an activity involving coal seam gas extraction, could in any way include shale gas extraction.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN: The question is that Australian Greens amendment (1) on sheet 7377 be agreed to.