The Senate paper on Select committee on certain aspects of Queensland government administration related to commonwealth Government Affairs, issued this month, wants a report to address the effects of CSG mining activities in the Tara and Chinchilla areas on the health of local people, animals and crops, groundwater and on the quality of soil, water and air.
The paper was drawn up after public hearings and submissions by a committee that was chaired by former Palmer United Party member Glenn Lazarus, and also includes Greens Senator Larissa Waters, along with Labor members Chris Ketter and Joseph Ludwig, along with the LNP’s Ian Macdonald.
The committee also recommends that the Queensland government complete a review of the Gasfields Commission Queensland including roles, responsibilities, conflicts of interest and independence.
The Gasfields Commission has, to date, helped develop industry expansion by facilitating what key players from both the agricultural and resources sector say has been a productive relationship that has respected the views of both parties.
Macdonald said the whole process of the report, triggered by the PUP and backed by the Greens, was an embarrassment and blatantly political.
The paper’s overtly political tone was revealed in its recommendation that “the Queensland government make a commitment to restoring the relationship between government and the Queensland people, through adequate consultation, transparent decision making and accountability for outcomes”
The committee also recommended the state government review decisions made by the Newman government as well as decisions pending, in relation to the approval of mining leases “and other projects called in by the deputy premier and minister for infrastructure and planning, where environmental and planning laws and decisions reached by local government have been ignored and disregarded and/or where potential conflicts of interest may have occurred and/or where political donations to the Liberal National Party were involved in some way”
“The committee recommends that the Queensland government ensure all mining and other major development activities are consistent with Australia's environment and social obligations under international environmental instruments that Australia is a signatory to.
“The committee recommends that the federal Minister for the Environment does not delegate his powers under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, the report said.
Australian Pipelines and Gas Association CEO Cheryl Cartwright said the Senate committee’s report ignored “the comprehensive reviews of the science and regulation of the coal seam gas industry”
“The call for a royal commission into the industry ignores the independent reviews completed in 2014 by the New South Wales Chief Scientist into CSG activities and the Northern Territory review into hydraulic fracturing,” Cartwright said.
“The science is in and these reviews found that the risk of unconventional gas extraction can be managed by sound regulation and professionalism from the operators involved.”
She said the regulation of the industry had improved in recent years with government agencies refocused on studying and monitoring the effects on groundwater and the environment.
“Many landholders welcome the CSG industry,” Cartwright said.
He echoed oft-repeated concerns by the upstream gas industry that delays in the supply of gas would not help the Australian economy, particularly the manufacturing sector.
“Advocating the shutdown of the CSG industry on purely ideological grounds is not in the nation’s interests,” Cartwright said.
