[Greens-Media] MEDIA RELEASE: LABOR IGNORES SCIENCE AND COMMUNITY TO SIDE WITH CSG COMPANIES

[Klug, Georgie (Sen C. Milne)]

MEDIA RELEASE 

Monday, May 27, 2013

LABOR IGNORES SCIENCE AND COMMUNITY TO SIDE WITH CSG COMPANIES 

Minister Gary Gray's speech to the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association in Brisbane today should leave Australians with no doubt that Labor is putting the big mining companies ahead of communities and the climate.

"Minister Gray points to the 3,780 agreements signed between landholders and the industry as a 'win-win' for farmers and mining companies," Australian Greens Leader Senator Christine Milne said.

"In reality, it's a win for the mining companies and not for famers who don't want their groundwater ruined but have no choice because the old parties won't give them the right to say no to coal seam gas mining on their own properties. 

"Minister Gray deliberately ignores the lose-lose for the climate and cannot explain why these projects have been approved without any idea of the volume of methane leaking.

"The Greens are the only party working to give landholders the right to say no to coal seam gas mining on their land and to protect our precious water supplies and valuable farmland in an age of food insecurity," Senator Milne said. 
 
Greens mining spokesperson Senator Larissa Waters said Minister Gray congratulated mining companies for researching their effects on groundwater, ignoring the need for independent science before approvals are issued. 

"It's environmentally reckless to approve coal seam gas projects first and then to research the industry's groundwater impacts later, especially when the National Water Commission, CSIRO and the government's own expert panel on coal seam gas are warning of serious, long-term groundwater impacts," Senator Waters said. 
 
"Labor is not only ignoring the independent science but also community concern about this industry, with Minister Gray today telling mining companies that only a relatively small number of people were vocally opposing the high-risk industry. 
 
"Minister Gray is out of touch with the 68 per cent of Australians, who support a moratorium  on coal seam gas until the full health and environmental impacts are known, as found by a Galaxy poll. 
 
"The Greens are the only party listening to the overwhelming community concern against coal seam gas, which is loud and clear in both our cities and rural communities, and going to the election with a policy of no new coal seam gas," Senator Waters said.