Liberal-National Party Coalition shows its true colours on CSG
The Liberal-National Party Coalition has shown, without a doubt, that they are just paying lip service on Coal Seam Gas issues until the election.
The Coalition in the Senate is trying to weaken the Federal Government’s ‘water trigger’ legislation with an amendment that would hand environmental assessment powers to the states.
The Federal Government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment Bill, brought in to tighten up our water protection related to CSG activities, was passed in the House of Representatives in March.
The Coalition didn’t vote against the bill in the House, but is now going to put an amendment that would weaken these protections by allowing the Commonwealth to refer scientific assessments back to the states.
Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham, the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, has told the Senate that the Coalition doesn’t like the legislation, but because of the community concerns they wouldn’t oppose it.
But they are clearly working hard to wind back any water protections.
It is there in Hansard, in black and white, the Liberal Senator saying they won’t oppose it because that would let the Government politicise the issue.
But Senator Birmingham said: “… we will work to fix these issues should we succeed later this year.”
And Senator Birmingham is clear about the parts of the legislation the Coalition doesn’t like; the very sections of the legislation that could protect our region.
The Coalition doesn’t believe the water protection should apply to the exploration phase or drill test sites.
And they don’t want the bill to apply to any areas already being assessed, so no scrutiny whatsoever.
Senator Birmingham said: “If this bill has to pass, it should only apply to new applications and not to those where the process is already underway.”
Again, this would offer no protection to the CSG sites in the Northern Rivers.
I fought hard and worked with the Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke to find ways to protect our water, and our farmers from harmful CSG, and the EP & BC Amendment Act offers that protection.
This week’s Senate debate has shown without a doubt that with a Liberal-National Party Government we would see a pro-CSG environment minister determined to wind back any protections.
- Hansard of Senator Birmingham’s speech is attached.
Wednesday, May 16, 2013.
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