Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hanson-Young for bringing forward this urgent bill, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Expanding the Water Trigger) Bill 2023 [No. 2]. In the short period of time that I've got left, I would like to highlight how proud I am that the Greens are in this place today standing up for farmers and rural communities on the Liverpool Plains in New South Wales who have been fighting Santos tooth and nail to stop their precious water supplies from being contaminated.

Isn't it fascinating that the Nationals and the Liberal Party come in here every week, trying to get up a Senate inquiry, saying that they're standing with rural communities around the country and trying to stop the roll out of renewable energy, but not once have I heard them come in to this chamber and stand up for the farming communities on the Liverpool Plains and in other parts of our country that are fighting tooth and nail to stop these dirty fossil fuel companies chasing their profits and putting farmers' livelihoods at risk. It's the Greens that are doing that and the farming communities around this country are recognising that it is actually the Greens that are standing up for their precious land and their precious water.

I am very keen to hear the contributions from the National Party and the Liberal Party. In the 15 seconds I have left, how about I lay down a challenge to anyone from the Liberal and National parties to come into this chamber and stand up for farmers on the Liverpool Plains? The fracking issue in this country has been front and centre and a significant matter of public interest now for many, many years, and yet not once has anyone from the National Party, who say they represent farmers—in fact, I correct myself; I think Senator Canavan said famously a few years ago that they are now representing the fossil fuel industry, the coal companies and the gas companies rather than rural communities. This bill before us today is an urgent reform. You can't eat coal and you can't drink gas. Expanding the water trigger would protect our farms and rural communities from the damage that coal seam gas wreaks on life-giving groundwater. Senator Cox has so eloquently put the impact this has on our first Nations communities around the country, and Senator Hanson-Young has talked about why we need this to protect our environment. Well, as Greens agricultural spokesperson today I'm here to talk about why we should be protecting our rural communities.

Santos is currently attempting to steamroll communities on the Liverpool Plains, communities made up of hardworking Australian farmers who are opposed to fracking in some of the most productive and prime agricultural land in this country. Coal seam gas extraction has the potential to significantly impact groundwater and aquifers and jeopardise our farmland production. First Nations across the country, notably in the Beetaloo in the Northern Territory and Pilliga in New South Wales, have spoken about the dangers of the impacts of coal seam gases on cultural heritage underpinned by healthy groundwater and aquifers. Expanding the water trigger—