The Gloucester, Maules Creek, Boggabri and Tarrawonga coal mining developments were approved before the controversial changes to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act by the federal government earlier this year.
New information from the department administering the act also suggests that almost all coal mining projects now assessed will be impacted by the proposed “water trigger” changes, according to the Australian Coal Association.
Australian Senator Larissa Waters said the influence of mining industry should not be allowed to “sabotage” a bill for federal protection for water resources from coal seam gas mining and large coal mines.
"Mining bodies admitted during hearings today that they've been lobbying behind closed doors to water down this protection," Waters said.
"In an age of food insecurity, state governments are letting the coal seam gas industry run rampant, despite clear warnings from the National Water Commission and CSIRO that we don't know how destructive this high-risk industry will be for our precious water resources in the long term.
"Already, they've succeeded in using their influence to delay this protection and get approval for major coal seam gas projects in the meantime.
"It's all too convenient for the mining industry that just weeks before the government announced it would introduce this protection to Parliament it approved four major coal seam gas and coal mining projects – Gloucester, Maules Creek, Boggabri and Tarrawonga.”
Waters said she would be moving to amend the bill so it applied retrospectively to the four projects approved before the protection was announced and “so that it allows landholders the right to say no to coal seam gas mining”
"If the government truly wants to protect water rather than just electioneer, they will back my amendments to strengthen this bill,” she said.
“Likewise, the Coalition will reveal where their loyalties lie when they vote on whether landholders should have the right to say no to coal and coal seam gas."
Australian Coal Association chief executive officer Dr Nikki Williams said the independent Hawke Review considered the use of a water trigger under the EPBC Act and ruled it out.
The government subsequently set up an independent scientific committee to advise on water impacts of mining projects to negate the need for an additional trigger.
Williams said the federal government had suddenly disregarded the recommendations of its own Hawke Review.
“In only the last 24 hours we have more hard evidence of job cuts in the coal sector, demonstrating just how difficult things have become,” she said.
"The prime minister says she stands for Australian jobs. Tens of thousands of people are employed in the coal industry, most of them in regional Australia.
“The government seems blind to the fact that increasing the regulatory burden creates extra costs for companies, which deters investment and puts jobs growth at risk.”
