Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

I can indicate to the Senate that, whilst subsidence mining operations may not be limited to CSG and large coalmining projects which are subject to the water trigger and advice by the independent expert scientific committee under the EPBC Act, mining interception activities in the Murray-Darling Basin must be specified in state water resource plans and accredited in accordance with the basin plan. Accredited water resource plans must set out a process for monitoring the impact of all listed interception activities and associated actions that will be taken in the event that monitoring shows any impacts that compromise environmental watering or an increase in the quantity of water being intercepted. So I think what we would find is that this is a matter for the state regulatory authorities to determine. That is, I dare say, part of our one-stop-shop approach in these matters.