[Greens-Media] MEDIA RELEASE Tony Abbott's mixed messages on coal seam gas

[Vandeleur, Monique (Sen L. Waters)]

MEDIA RELEASE

Senator Larissa Waters
Senator for Queensland

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

TONY ABBOTT'S MIXED MESSAGES ON COAL SEAM GAS

Tony Abbott's Coalition is hopelessly conflicted on coal seam gas, as media reports show today, say the Australian Greens.

"On one hand Tony Abbott's resources spokesperson, Ian Macfarlane, is telling farmers they should be able to say no to coal seam gas mining on their land and on the other he is urging Premier O'Farrell to open up land for coal seam gas," Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens mining spokesperson, said.

"Tony Abbott's Coalition is telling farmers one thing, then doing nothing about it in Canberra and instead cozying up to the big mining companies by pressuring New South Wales to weaken land protection.

"People won't be fooled because they know Tony Abbott will always put the big mining companies first.

"The Coalition's true colours will be revealed when my amendment to give the landholders the right to say no to coal seam gas mining on their land comes on for a vote in the Senate.

"Farmers are right to worry about the impacts of coal seam gas, with the National Water Commission, CSIRO and the government's own expert panel on coal seam gas warning the industry could have significant long-term effects on underground water supplies.

"In an age of food insecurity, it's absurd to be rushing through coal seam gas projects which threaten our water, land and climate - that's why the Greens are standing with the community and opposing new coal seam gas," Senator Waters said.