Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you so much for your protection, Mr Acting Deputy President Seselja. This is a publicly available report and, if you want any clearer indication of the people and the parties who are sticking up for rural and regional Australia and landowners, you need look no further than the 2011 November report.

I know that Senator Waters has been quite vocal in my communities in recent times, particularly down in south Gippsland, around this issue. I want to put a few facts on the record from the Victorian Nationals' perspective on this issue. It is true that it was the last state coalition government that put in place the moratorium on coal seam gas development in Victoria. It is indeed the Victorian Leader of the National Party, Peter Walsh, who this week stated publicly that he supported the extension of the moratorium.

The Victorian Nationals will demand stronger safeguards for landholders regarding onshore coal seam gas operations should the industry ever develop in Victoria. The Nationals support landowners having the right to say no to coal seam gas extraction activity on their property. Similar to the federal National Party's position on this issue, the Victorian Nationals believe the regions where the mining takes place should also share in the benefits of the activity. The Nationals support the introduction of a landowner and community benefit structure so that, when mining activity takes place in a local community, the landowners get a share of the wealth to invest in local priorities.

When we look at the additional comments made by National Party senators to the Senate inquiry into this exact issue, recommendation 1 goes specifically to reimbursing—increasing the bargaining position of the farmer or the landholder so that they can negotiate these contracts from a position of power.

Senator Waters interjecting—

This is a state issue, Senator Waters, and you bring it in time and time again. I really encourage you to take your bills and this issue to the state parliaments. Maybe you need to be focusing on that.