Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Given that we were rather rushed last night in the five minutes we had to discuss this amendment, I will recap: the amendment would allow landholders the right to say no to coal and coal seam gas mining on their land. Many communities across the east coast are now banding together to demand that right. Today a poll has been released showing that 86 per cent of New South Wales residents want the right to say no; they want to be able to lock the gate and to be not breaking the law when they do so.

I take this opportunity to acknowledge in the public gallery some members of the Lock the Gate Alliance. The alliance has been very courageous in the stand it has taken against this industry, which, as we know, threatens groundwater, threatens the climate and of course threatens the reef, and is impacting on rural communities—and increasingly on urban communities as the coal seam gas industry encroaches on the cities as well. We are honoured to be moving this amendment to give those communities the right to lock the gate and to do so lawfully.

As I outlined last night, this amendment does not change the ownership of the resource, it is perfectly constitutional and it does not lessen any of the other environmental requirements. This is purely an amendment to strengthen the bargaining position of communities and allow them to lock the gate against this dangerous and risky industry.