The new Nationals’ blueprint on coal seam gas has been abandoned after just 72 hours, as the Nationals didn’t show up for the vote on the Greens motion backing their first policy principle.

“The Nationals’ first core principle was that;

No coal seam gas development should proceed where it poses a significant impact to the quality of groundwater or surface water systems. It must be absolutely clear that no coal seam gas development should occur unless it is proven safe for the environment.

“They’ve sold out their constituents to the coal seam gas companies by lacking the courage to stand by those words in Parliament,” Australian Greens mining spokesperson Senator Larissa Waters said.

“The Liberals have now voted down the Nationals’ position on coal seam gas – it seems that the Coalition are divided on this issue, and the Nationals are too afraid to stick up for their own policies.

“Both sides of the Coalition have been trying to tell the bush that they are listening to people’s concerns about coal seam gas, while taking no action at all to reign in the risky industry.

“The Liberals and the Nationals are deep in the pocket of big mining, and are ignoring the concerns of farmers and communities in the bush who are speaking out in great numbers about impacts of coal seam gas on our water and our environment.

“The bush deserves better, communities deserve better and Australia deserves real action to address the risks of coal seam gas.”