Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Ludlam; I think you were out of the chamber when I jumped ahead and indicated that the government would not be supporting it and the reasons why, but I will happily read them out again for you. The proposed amendment would broaden the scope of the water trigger so that it may apply to shale gas, tight gas and underground coal gasification projects. The water trigger is intended to build on the objectives of the national partnership agreement which is limited to coal seam gas and large coal mining. The proposed water trigger is also intended to build on the established role of the independent expert scientific committee, which provides advice on coal seam gas and large coal mining development. As noted in the Senate committee's report on the bill, the rapid and extensive development of coal mining and CSG mining in particular and the great community concern that these activities have raised require that concerns about these activities should be addressed.