Glenn Lazarus (Queensland, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Birmingham, representing the Minister for the Environment. Senator, I note your government's deal with some members of the crossbench to ensure the conclusion of the burning of Australian native forests in the RET in return for the establishment of a national wind farm commissioner. I understand you have done this in response to community concerns around the apparent noise made by wind farms, which no scientific body has yet proved. Is the Abbott government aware that CSG mining also produces noise—constant, ongoing, brain-numbing noise?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Lazarus for the question, peculiar, though, the question perhaps is. Is there noise from CSG operations? Yes, there is. Is there an independent expert scientific committee that is extraordinarily well funded to look into the operation of coal seam gas?

Senator Lazarus interjecting—

'No, it is not,' says Senator Lazarus. Well, there is an independent expert scientific committee, Senator Lazarus. It has significant funding attached to it. You may choose to ignore it; you may choose to just listen to those sitting to your left. You may well be the 11th Green in this chamber, Senator Lazarus. That seems to be the direction you are taking. But, Senator Lazarus, the truth is that there is an independent expert scientific committee into coal seam gas and large-scale coal developments that does valuable work, that does provide valuable information to state governments and to the Commonwealth government, that helps to ensure we actually do have high-calibre analysis of what happens with regard to coal seam mining in Australia. There is a very valuable role that the coal seam gas industry plays. Senator Lazarus may be quite happy to see shortages in relation to gas in Australia in the future. This government is not. This government wants to see the development of our resources where possible. We want to see the development of those resources in a safe, sensible and sustainable way. We support the IESC in their work. They do incredibly valuable work, but so too is the CSG sector incredibly valuable to the safe and secure supply of gas for the ongoing development of this country into the future.

Glenn Lazarus (Queensland, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Given the community concerns around the well-documented and scientifically proven health impacts of CSG mining, in addition to all the other serious negative impacts, including the pollution of underground water tables, contamination of water and poisoning of the land and soil and anything that lives or grows on at, will the government establish a CSG mining commissioner?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This government supports what we think are very good frameworks that were put in place in relation to how the independent scientific committee works. It has an agreement that underpins it that provides for information to be provided, not just to the federal minister in making determinations, particularly under the water trigger in the EPBC Act, but also to state and territory ministers when they are making decisions in relation to how CSG operates. There is an incredibly robust framework in place to ensure that coal seam gas development proposals are well analysed, well assessed and assessed against the best available scientific information, and that that information is then taken into account by the Commonwealth environment minister and relevant state ministers. We think it is a robust arrangement that is in place. It is incredibly strong, it is very well funded and it does a good job for a critical industry for Australia.

Glenn Lazarus (Queensland, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Rural and regional Queensland is being devastated by drought and CSG mining. The people of Queensland have been failed by all levels of government who have turned a blind eye to the damage caused by CSG mining. Does your government acknowledge that the people of Queensland, and more broadly all Australians, deserve to have their concerns regarding CSG mining responded to by your government?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The people of Queensland and the people right across Australia can have confidence that the $98 million we are investing in regional assessments on the impact of CSG mining is real funding making a real difference to the body of scientific knowledge that is there and that the processes work effectively. But, what is more, the people of regional Queensland can have confidence that they are getting hundreds of additional jobs as a result of the investment from CSG in those regions. Senator Lazarus would be well advised and perhaps he would like to travel with the member for Maranoa or one of the Queensland LNP senators through some of the regions, where he will find that it has turned around the prospects in a number of towns and that there are new job opportunities, new investment—valuable investment that is creating new opportunities for young people in those regions—and different opportunities, as well as the generation of valuable gas resources for domestic use and for the export market, generating wealth for this country, which you seem to be standing against, Senator Lazarus.