Parliament

That the Senate-
(a) notes:
(i) recent revelations of threats to water from the unconventional gas industry, including water contamination with uranium at 20 times the safe level, at coal seam gas company Santos' Pilliga operations,

(ii) recent reports of contamination of groundwater by asbestos contained in drilling fluids at Origin's coal seam gas operations in Queensland, and

We give notice that on the next day of sitting we shall move that -

The Senate notes:

1.    The concern of communities in South Australia and Western Australia about their land and water being threatened by shale and other unconventional gas mining.

2.    That landholders lack the legal right to refuse shale and other unconventional gas mining on their land.

3.    The scientific uncertainty surrounding the environmental and health implications of hydraulic fracturing ('fracking') for shale and other unconventional gas mining.

The Senate notes:

1.    The World Heritage Committee has expressed extreme concern about industrialisation of the Great Barrier Reef coastline, as have Queensland fishers and tourism operators, and the broader Australian community

2.    The federal and Queensland Governments are currently undertaking two strategic assessments which will decide how the Great Barrier Reef's coast will be protected into the future

Senator Waters: To move-That the Senate-

(a) notes that:

The Senate has passed a Greens' motion today calling on the Abbott Government to urgently provide overdue base funding to the Wet Tropics Management Authority.

Senator WATERS: I move:

That the Senate-

(a) notes:

On the 14th November, Senator Larissa Waters moved the following motion in the Senate -

The Senate notes:

1. Recent reports in the Sydney Morning Herald that the Prime Minister personally promised Tara resident Ms Debbie Orr that nobody should be forced to have a gas well on their property;

2. The Coalition's election platform that access to prime agricultural land should only be allowed with the farmer's agreement - the farmer should have the right to say yes or no to coal seam gas exploration and extraction on their property; and