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

I would just like to put on record the Greens' opposition to this amendment moved by the opposition to exclude anything but the production stages of coal seam gas and coalmining. Clearly, as we have heard at length from the experts, the very punching of a hole through aquifers to get to a coal seam is what potentially causes the connectivity which can lead to dropping of the groundwater table or contamination of the groundwater. So I am afraid that, in terms of water, there is little difference between exploration and production in terms of the possible damage to aquifers, and on that basis we will be opposing this amendment.