[Greens-Media] Media release: Greens move to protect CSG science funding as report shows lack of research into impacts

[Vandeleur, Monique (Sen L. Waters)]

Senator Larissa Waters
Senator for Queensland

Media release

Tuesday, 18 March 2014

Greens move to protect CSG science funding as report shows lack of research into impacts

Following the release of The Australia Institute's report 'Fracking the Future' today, the Australian Greens will lodge a Senate motion calling for funding for the Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas to be safeguarded from the Abbott Government's razor gang.

"The Australia Institute's report finds there is an alarming lack of research into the health and environmental impacts of CSG and yet the Abbott Government is pushing ahead without the science," Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens mining spokesperson, said.

"Cutting funding to the Independent Scientific Expert Committee on Coal Seam Gas and abandoning federal protections for water would make the situation even worse, with potentially disastrous consequences for human health and the environment.

"We've already seen Santos contaminate water in New South Wales with uranium, and Origin threaten water supplies with asbestos in Queensland.

"Uranium and asbestos contamination should mean game over for gas mining but the Abbott Government is pressing fast-forward even without the science being in.

"The report also confirms that coal seam gas leaks methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas, which makes it a disaster for the climate.

"The Greenhouse Gas Inventory lists greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas as the fastest growing of fugitive emissions.

"The Australia Institute's report shows the gas industry's job claims are overblown by about 10 times the actual amount reported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

"Oil and gas across Australia provides a fifth of the jobs created by the Great Barrier Reef, yet the Abbott Government is letting the big mining companies trash the Reef.

"While the gas companies are hiring spin doctors to grossly exaggerate the employment they provide, the report finds their profits are flowing offshore to overseas owners.

"With Labor threatening to roll over on the mining tax, the Abbott Government will let the big mining companies pay even less tax, while subsidising the industry to the tune of billions of dollars.

"The Abbott Government is risking our land, water, Great Barrier Reef and climate all for the sake of the bottom dollar of foreign-owned mining companies," Senator Waters said.

The Greens' Senate motion will be voted on tomorrow.

Contact - Monique Vandeleur 0419 626 725