Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question without notice is to the Minister representing the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities and it is about the minister for the environment’s go-ahead for two giant coal seam gas projects in Queensland at close of business last Friday. Who will monitor the 300 conditions placed by the environment minister on these projects? Will it be from his office or somebody else’s? What will be the cost of that monitoring and who will pay for it? What will be the penalties for these corporations if they breach those conditions? Finally, what reparations will be made to the farmers whose productive land is going to be compromised by thousands of drill holes in their farmland from these gas extraction projects?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Brown for his question. In 2008, Santos and the QGC referred coal seam gas proposals in southern Queensland and Gladstone for consideration under federal environmental law as outlined in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. On entering his portfolio, the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Tony Burke, visited Gladstone to inspect the site and visited Chinchilla to look at existing wells. He met with representatives of local governments and community members who were opposed to the project. His decisions must be strictly in accordance with the provisions of the national environmental legislation. While there are significant economic benefits, which must be a consideration in Mr Burke’s decision, the environment minister’s focus has been on protecting environmental matters.

We must protect the Great Artesian Basin, our threatened species, our waterways and the Great Barrier Reef. The minister imposed, as Senator Brown mentioned, more than 300 conditions on those projects which provide these environmental protections and allow the jobs and investment in Queensland to go ahead. There was rigorous assessment, including environmental impact statements for each project, Queensland Coordinator-General’s reports on each project, public consultation and expert advice from the minister’s department and Geoscience Australia. The assessment considered matters of national environmental significance, including listed threatened species, listed ecological communities, the world heritage values of the Great Barrier Reef and listed migratory species. Also considered were potential impacts on agricultural land among other economic and social matters. Conditions include that ground water pressure must remain above conservative thresholds or be re-established, and that may involve reinjection, water monitoring plans—(Time expired)

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. The minister answered none of my questions, so I will try some easier ones.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You joined the alliance, yeah? You joined the alliance.

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And you failed. Could the minister tell the chamber exactly what will be the cost to the farmers of the region in terms of compromised prime agricultural land, other agricultural land and productivity? Who is making that assessment and how will the recompense be paid?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the environment minister noted in the other place yesterday, there has been some community opposition to these projects. He also noted recently reported comments from one of the local councils that they are satisfied that the risks on water quality are being properly managed and that in this area they are actually taking water from completely separate water aquifers. As to the specifics of the question that you have also sought information on, Senator Brown, I will get as much of that information to you as quickly as I can through the normal process.

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Why was the announcement made late on Friday afternoon? This was a habit of the former minister, Peter Garrett, when difficult and unpopular measures were being announced. Does it flag some form of cover-up or ducking from public opinion on this very contentious issue? Will the minister seek a commitment that further announcements about the environment will not be made at close of business on Friday afternoon to duck obvious public contention?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have no information as to why that decision was made and that timing. I am happy to take that under advisement and come back to you with any information that the minister considers relevant.