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Discussion on Petition Signed by 10,000 or More Persons
Mr ANTHONY ROBERTS (Lane Cove—Minister for Resources and Energy,
and Special Minister of State) [4.30 p.m.]: I commence by thanking the
members of the North West Alliance for bringing this petition before the
Parliament. I acknowledge the presence of several members of the North
West Alliance in the gallery today. I met with Anne Kennedy, Naomi
Hogan, Megan Kuhn and Rohan Boehm of the alliance at my office on 27
May. This very productive meeting was held jointly with the office of
the Minister for Natural Resources, Lands and Water. At that meeting
representatives of landholders in north-western New South Wales outlined
their environmental concerns around coal seam gas and coalmine
development, particularly in relation to potential impacts on the Great
Artesian Basin. These are concerns that I recognise, and I share their
determination to be satisfied on real impacts.
Resource development must be done in a sustainable manner and takes
account of all other land users and their interests. As such, I want to
make it clear that this Government will protect our water resources and
will not allow resource development to have a detrimental effect on
water systems. To this end the New South Wales Government has a good
story to tell. We have brought in exclusion zones for coal seam gas
development to ensure that it occurs only in sensible areas. We have
commissioned the Chief Scientist to look into the cumulative impacts of
coal seam gas development and provide recommendations on any regulatory
changes that may be required. We have introduced an Aquifer Interference
Policy and a Well Integrity Code to ensure that our water resources are
protected. We have also beefed up our compliance regime with the
establishment of the Office of Coal Seam Gas.
As Minister, I have taken a tough stance to ensure that coal seam gas
companies are compliant with their licence conditions and applicants for
licences meet the highest standards. I can assure the House that this
is not an industry for speculators or those without the requisite
capabilities to undertake this very complex work. This includes the
ability to be a responsible corporate citizen and respect the community
one works within. Earlier this year I was proud to join with AGL, Santos
and landholder representatives as they signed the Agreed Principles of
Land Access framework. In this framework, these two companies agreed to
respect the wishes of landholders in relation to the drilling of coal
seam gas wells on their land. The willingness of AGL and Santos to sign
up to these values demonstrates that they are companies that respect the
communities they work within and the landholders they deal with.
I am happy to inform the House that I am working closely with the
Minister for Natural Resources, Lands, and Water to ensure that New
South Wales has world-class measures in place to monitor and protect our
water resources. We are interested in the impact that all commercial
activities are having on water systems, not just the potential impact of
coal seam gas and mining. I am passionate about making sure that all
water users and the environment are adequately protected. I again thank
most sincerely the alliance for bringing this petition to the House. We
have been listening and acting upon their concerns. I look forward to
continuing to work with them to ensure that coalmining and coal seam gas
is developed in a responsible and sustainable manner in this State.
ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Lee Evans): Order! I inform the public in the
gallery that they are here by invitation. If they continue to make
remarks the gallery will be cleared. I ask those in the public gallery
not to make further comment. The member for Canterbury will come to
order.
Mr RON HOENIG (Heffron) [4.33 p.m.]: On behalf of the New South
Wales Opposition I contribute to debate on the petition requesting
legislation to protect agricultural land, bushland, drinking water
supplies and underground aquifers from coal seam gas and coalmining
activities. I acknowledge the number of community members, including
farmers, traditional owners and local residents who have travelled from
north-western New South Wales to witness this debate. I praise the
community for obtaining the 11,000 signatures that appear on the
petition, which reflects the strong sentiment of those in north-western
New South Wales to coal seam gas.
On a number of occasions the former Minister for Resources and Energy
indicated publicly that coal seam gas cannot be left in the ground, and
until very recently that seemed to dictate government policy. Shortly
after the 2011 election, the Labor Party announced that it had learnt
its lesson from the election results. The Leader of the Opposition then
announced that there should be a moratorium on coal seam gas mining
until the Government could be satisfied that coal seam gas could be
safely mined. Community outrage across the State caused the New South
Wales Government to finally act. The former Premier overruled the former
Minister for Resources and Energy as to exclusion zones and engaged the
Chief Scientist to review the matter. Do I need to remind the House
that to this day the Chief Scientist of New South Wales cannot tick off
coal seam gas mining?
The Chief Scientist of New South Wales was commissioned to conduct that
review on 21 February 2013, some 16 months ago. The Chief Scientist's
initial report was dated July 2013. In that report she said that the
issue was complex and the review was expected to continue well into
2014. The Chief Scientist of New South Wales cannot tick off the safe
extraction of coal seam gas mining so there is no point in reviewing
licences as the Government has done. There is equally no point in
putting fear into the people of New South Wales or for the Minister for
Resources and Energy to now have an epiphany in relation to coal seam
gas mining because the vested interests have been having their way. For
too long New South Wales has been turned into a quarry for the vested
interests to extract coal seam gas and make money for their
shareholders, overseas investors and fund managers at the expense of
prime agricultural land and aquifers.
Do I need to remind the House that it was only a month or two ago that
the Government voted down an Opposition amendment to ban coal seam gas
mining in Sydney's water catchment area? Why would the Government do
that? The law does not permit one to fish in the Sydney water catchment
area nor to light a fire, yet one can mine coal seam gas. No, the
Liberals and The Nationals were not prepared to support Labor in
protecting Sydney's water supply. The Government is trying to convince
the people of New South Wales that it has had an epiphany in relation to
coal seam gas and coalmining in order to get to the 2015 State
election. It will then open the gates and I will tell you how. When gas
prices start to rise because of the export gas facilities, the
Government will blame the increased gas price on the fact that no coal
seam gas is being mined in New South Wales. The legitimate concern of
the people of north-western New South Wales is being backed by the Chief
Scientist of New South Wales. No member of Parliament should rest or
allow the continued destruction of aquifers or prime agricultural land
until we know it is safe to do so.
Mr KEVIN HUMPHRIES (Barwon—Minister for Natural Resources, Lands
and Water, and Minister for Western NSW) [4.38 p.m.]: I too acknowledge
the members of the North West Alliance, those present in the gallery and
those who cannot be here today for bringing this petition before the
Parliament. I also acknowledge other concerned members who have raised
this issue in the Parliament today and prior. As my colleague the
Minister for Resources and Energy has mentioned, both my office and I
have met with members of the North West Alliance and other groups on
multiple occasions.
People like me and the Minister for Resources and Energy have listened
to their concerns and we continue to listen to community concern. As
someone who has spent the vast majority of my life living and working in
north-west New South Wales—apart from six years spent in the southern
part of Tasmania—I am well aware of conservation issues and what local
communities are saying. It is a pity the previous Government was not.
What this Government and the North West Alliance have in common is that
we are both committed to protecting the State's precious water resources
and assets.
ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Lee Evans): Order! I remind the member for Canterbury that she is on three calls to order.
Mr KEVIN HUMPHRIES: We know that from one end of New South Wales
to the other water is the lifeblood of our State's diverse regional
communities, industries and economies. I am very proud to say that, with
the support of my community and the extended community, no government
has done more than the Liberal-Nationals Government to protect our water
resources and to ensure that resource development does not have a
detrimental effect on water systems. The Minister for Resources and
Energy and I have been working together very closely to put in place
Australia's strictest and most transparent regulations to monitor and
protect our water resources. We have introduced vital safeguards and
oversight through measures such as the gateway panel, which is playing
an extremely important role in providing independent scientific
assessment on major resources projects. We are linking up with the
independent expert advisory panel under our Federal agreement.
In addition, the Land and Water Commissioner has been working closely
with the Chief Scientist to develop a robust water monitoring framework
and has been engaging local communities in the process. That process is
currently underway and will be ongoing. The New South Wales
Liberal-Nationals Government has delivered the nation's first clear and
objective Aquifer Interference Policy, which applies across the State
and to all exploration and extraction activities. The Aquifer
Interference Policy protects our aquifers while balancing the water use
needs of agriculture, the community, the resources industry and the
environment now and into the future. This policy delivers on two
election commitments of this Government: the protection of water
resources from the impacts of mining and coal seam gas exploration and
extraction; and returning decision-making powers to independent experts.
I am pleased this afternoon to say that we have acted on the concerns
of groups such as the North West Alliance and delivered the strictest
protections anywhere in Australia for the State's water resources.
Ms LINDA BURNEY (Canterbury) [4.42 p.m.]: I begin by recognising
country and the lands of the Gomeroi people of north-western New South
Wales. I also congratulate people in the public gallery who have made an
incredible effort to gather 11,000 signatures on this petition. It
shows their passion, distress and the level of concern in their part of
the country about gas mining activities, agricultural land, bushland,
drinking water, underground aquifers and Aboriginal cultural heritage,
on which I will focus. I thank those whom I have met today, particularly
the Aboriginal women, and also members of the North West Alliance whom I
have met in the past. Today I heard about how some mining companies
conducting their activities on the lands of the traditional owners are
destroying sacred burial grounds, scarred trees and other sites
important to men and women. I am also well aware of the concerns of
other citizens within the community, particularly landholders, about the
way in which mining licences are granted as well as the damage that
will be done to the land. Both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people are
worried about their lack of rights to their heritage, culture and lands.
The north-west New South Wales community has major concerns about the
Narrabri Gas Project that is proposed to include up to 850 production
gas wells across the Pilliga forest. My speaking time today is limited
but I encourage the community to maintain their outrage and to approach
members of this House who make decisions about what is best for the
State. Clearly, the people understand what is best for the State. They
know what is close to their hearts, culture, peoples and country. They
are hearing gumpf from the Government, which is trying to pacify them
and cover up the fact that it wants to exploit their lands, country and
cultures for its own gain. That is not acceptable.
Mr JAMIE PARKER (Balmain) [4.45 p.m.], by leave: I thank the
Minister. I also thank the North West Alliance, a coalition of more than
30 groups, for its fantastic work. The alliance has worked hard to
gather more than 11,000 signatures. In particular, I thank Nicky
Chirlian and Rowan Bonham for their fantastic work. In this debate we
have heard from the Labor Party and the Government. To some extent it is
a remarkable turnaround on the part of the Labor Party, after 16 years
of profligately issuing coal seam gas licences and supporting the coal
industry without question. The Government has taken some steps to
reverse that, but more needs to be done. An important issue that has not
been raised in this debate is that this is not only about coal seam gas
but also about coal. The decision being made by omission is between
food and water or coal and coal seam gas exploration.
The Greens believe in the precautionary principle. We believe projects
should not proceed unless the burden of proof, which should fall on the
proponents, is absolute. The Chief Scientist has indicated that the jury
is still out on coal seam gas. We know that there are no guarantees or
definitive proof in relation to extraction—whether it is a new coalmine
or coal seam gas exploration—that the Great Artesian Basin will not be
under threat and that other important aquifers or river systems will not
be endangered. The key issue that needs to be addressed—and which has
been brought to us by the petition—is not just an argument about what
regulation is available but also what is the future of energy in New
South Wales, this country and the world? Unless we transition to
renewable energy we will fight forever and a day about coal and coal
seam gas. We must address the question of how we will achieve 100 per
cent renewables in this State and nationally. Without renewable energy
at the heart of this Government and of future planning, we will never
move forward.
Our economy must be focused on renewable energy. We need to transition
to 100 per cent renewables. We need to stop new mines and coal seam gas
exploration, in particular, because the evidence is not clear. It cannot
be proved that there will be no impact on land, water and the
communities in the areas the North West Alliance represents. It seems to
me that this is an opportunity not to continue to fight about energy
that is not renewable but to focus on solar, solar thermal, wind and a
whole range of other technologies—where we know there are billions of
dollars in the pipeline—that are waiting to be supported by this
Government. I thank all the people in the public gallery for their
efforts. We are at the beginning of this campaign. We are at the
beginning of an historical change about how we deal with energy, our
land and our future.
Discussion concluded.
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