Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The companies have said, black and white, that they cannot guarantee any real job creation in South Australia as a result of this proposal. But I tell you what: the fishing industry and the tourism industry are scared. What if there is an oil spill? What happens to our clean, green tourism reputation in South Australia if a spill occurs? Don't say, 'Oh, it can't possibly happen.' We saw what happened in the Gulf of Mexico. It will not just be a spill in the Great Australian Bight, which is one of the roughest parts of the sea in the world. The modelling shows it will spread further than just the South Australian coast. It will hit Victoria. It will hit Tasmania. It could even possibly get up to the New South Wales east coast. This is the evidence that has been presented, yet here in this place today rather than us having a discussion about how we keep these companies more accountable, we are rolling over. We have the Labor Party and the Liberal Party, the government here, rolling over and saying: 'Oh, you want changes to the regulatory framework. Oh, you need it done retrospectively? Oh, yes, that's right, you did donate to our election campaign—how many years in a row?' That is what is going on here.

Giant multinational oil companies should never been given permits to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight, especially considering the lack of foresight, transparency and planning that has been presented. All of this is being done behind closed doors. Only last week we found out that big amounts of cash were being handed to both the government, the coalition, and the Labor Party. No wonder Chevron think they are on a winner here. Chevron's cash for comment. That is what we have seen in the last few months, folks, and this bill is no exception. On that note, Chair, I refer to the official amendments on sheet 7956 and seek leave to move those amendments.

Leave granted.

I move amendments (1) and (2) on sheet 7956 together.

(1) Clause 2, page 2 (at the end of the table), add:

(2) Page 10 (after line 6), at the end of the Bill, add:

Schedule 3—Protection of the Great Australian Bight marine area

Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006

1 After Part 9.10C of Chapter 9

  Insert:

Part 9.10D—Protection of the Great Australian Bight marine area

780N Ban on authorising activities in Great Australian Bight marine area

(1) An authorisation, or a renewal or extension of an authorisation, applied for on or after commencement of this section must not be granted if it would permit a mining related activity to be undertaken in the Great Australian Bight marine area.

(2) In this section:

authorisation means a permit, licence, lease, title, approval or other instrument applied for under this Act.

Great Australian Bight marine area means the waters of the sea known as the Great Australian Bight in the Southern Ocean that are:

(a) beyond the outer limits of the coastal waters of South Australia and Western Australia; and

(b) within the outer limits of the continental shelf; and

(c) between Cape Pasley, Western Australia and Cape Carnot, South Australia.

mining related activity:

(a) means an activity connected with, or incidental to, the mining or recovery of minerals or other geological material (including naturally occurring hydrocarbons) in any form, whether solid, liquid or gaseous and whether organic or inorganic; and

(b) includes prospecting for or exploring for minerals or other geological material.