Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the following matters be referred to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee for inquiry and report by 22 August 2012:

  (a)   the economic, social and environmental impacts of Australia's domestic and export coal seam gas (CSG)/liquid natural gas (LNG) industry on:

     (i)   surface and groundwater and future water licensing arrangements,

     (ii)   agricultural land and food production,

     (iii)   the coast and marine environments, including impacts on the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and industries relying on these environments, including impacts from pipelines, ports, dredging and shipping,

     (iv)   the property rights and values of landholders,

     (v)   rural, regional and urban communities, and the effective management of relationships between mining and other interests, and

     (vi)   other related matters, including health impacts;

  (b)   the greenhouse gas emission intensity of Australia's domestic and export CSG/LNG industries across their lifecycle, and the adequacy of accounting, monitoring and compliance of greenhouse impacts;

  (c)   the potential impacts of other unconventional gas industries developing rapidly across Australia, including shale and tight gas;

  (d)   the adequacy of existing and proposed state, territory and Commonwealth regulatory regimes to manage the above issues, including cumulative impacts and the appropriateness of 'adaptive management' in regulating the industry; and

  (e)   any other related matter.

Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party, Leader of The Nationals in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I seek leave to make a short statement.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for two minutes.

Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party, Leader of The Nationals in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. There has already been an inquiry from the Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport, which has been reported. Recommendations from that inquiry on coal seam gas were hard fought for. By reasons that those recommendations were hard fought for and that the government reply to that inquiry has not yet occurred, to have another inquiry would diminish from the effort that we put in to get the recommendations that we sought. In those recommendations it was quite clear that we do not want coal seam gas on prime agricultural land, that aquifers must not be destroyed and must be protected and that the quiet enjoyment of residential areas must be respected. Additional comments were made by the National Party about getting a proper pecuniary return back to the landholder on whose place the coal seam gas is extracted.

What we see happening at this juncture is not so much an inquiry to assist with the process that is currently at foot but more of a political statement to create a wedge. The National Party will not be supporting this motion.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I seek leave to make a short statement.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for two minutes.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. I would like to point out for the benefit of Senator Joyce and others in the chamber the differences between this proposed inquiry and the earlier inquiry; they are chalk and cheese. The first inquiry focused only on the Murray-Darling Basin; this inquiry is nationwide. It would look at all the impacts of coal seam gas, including shale gas in WA. It would also, importantly, look at the coastal impacts of coal seam gas export. We have seen the massive destruction in Gladstone Harbour and we have already had UNESCO, the world heritage body, here concerned about Gladstone and our reef. As well, we have seen 91 per cent of Australians not wanting the reef to be turned into a rubbish dump. There is clear community concern and clear need for the Senate to have better information about these issues.

This inquiry would also look in much closer detail at the climate impact of this industry, which is of course a fossil fuel, and therefore highly polluting. We would look at things like fugitive emissions and the overall life cycle greenhouse gas impacts of coal seam gas. This is new information that the Senate needs to inform itself with in order to tackle this massive fast-growing, hungry, dirty industry.

I find it incredibly disappointing that Senator Joyce is opposing looking at the impacts of coal seam gas. One wonders at the influences on Senator Joyce. I think it is a great shame when no-one in this parliament, except the Greens, is going to vote to examine the impacts of coal seam gas, which is an issue that the community is incredibly concerned about and will be very disappointed to learn about. I note that the Independents, of course, will sit with us, and I thank them for their support. The Australian public will not forget this and they certainly will not forget where Senator Joyce is when this vote comes.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the motion moved by Senator Waters be agreed to.