Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I notice the interjections there. There is a fossilised approach to this industry. It is not surprising from the coalition benches, but considering it is 2016, considering the evidence before us and considering all the extreme weather events that we have had lately, from the terrible fires in Tasmania to the extreme floods to the extraordinary period at Christmas—there was one day when New York in wintertime had a higher temperature than we did in Sydney, when it was our summertime; yes, we had a cold summer and they were having a hot winter, but that is just totally out of whack—again, what a reminder that is to the interjectors from the coalition benches.

This Pilliga project that Santos is trying to push ahead with has been delayed many times and delayed because of some fantastic, well-organised protests by the Pilliga Push—and what a fantastic name. This project is really on its last legs, with all those problems that I have just outlined, and it has been held up regularly by many nonviolent actions. And they have the backing of the local rural community. Surveys have found that 96 per cent of people living across more than three million hectares of land in north-west New South Wales want to be gas field free. Again, what a strong message! Wouldn't a wise government give it the boot? Wouldn't a wise company looking to its own business model and how it is going to stand with its own community get out of this dirty industry?

I just want to share with you some of the many creative actions, and these are just some of hundreds that have occurred in the Pilliga Push and the many protests to date. On this day, for a couple of women who I will give you the details about, their protest started at 5 am. They are two local women: Nicole Hunter, mother of three and small business owner, and Michelle Webb, a sixth-generation farmer and agriculture teacher. They set off, and they each travelled for more than an hour to lock on by 6.30 am using bike U-locks around their necks. Nicole locked on to the gates of the proposed Leewood waste water facility, and Michelle locked on to the Santos's Narrabri holding depot. That day, with the support of a fantastic group of people who were there to give them assistance, they delayed the Narrabri CSG project operations for more than four hours.

These are rolling protests that are occurring under very difficult conditions. If you go to the Pilliga, you will see how Santos is attempting, with the support of the New South Wales Liberal-National government and the federal Liberal-National government, to turn this into an industrial landscape which is crisscrossed with wells, wells that we now know are leaking gas. They are leaking contaminated water. There are spills—highly irresponsible operations. A decade ago it was Eastern Star that was there; Santos used to be part of Eastern Star. The industry then was highly unregulated, real cowboy country. They got away with a whole number of spills. When you go to the area, you see the spills. There are holes in the ground. No trees grow there. No trees grow there, because of the level of contamination, again a reminder of how dangerous this industry is.

That is why Nicole, Michelle and their support team were out there in the early hours of the morning under difficult conditions taking a stand. That is what is pushing this industry, in the case of AGL, to its senses. And now Santos are the last one standing, and they need to move in a similar way.

I also want to pay tribute to Neil Kennedy, a local farmer. I understand that he is about 200 kilometres west of the Pilliga forest area, and he also has locked on to a blockade. He has a very funny story about when he was picked up by the local police, who arrested him because he was locked on. These are people who you would not expect to protest in this way. Often people who protest have been typecast, but this is a broad range, a diverse group of people. Why are they taking action? They are taking action because they can see for themselves the damage that has been done to farming land and to the natural environment, and there are the climate change impacts. They have had the courage of their convictions, and I deeply congratulate them.

We now know that the risks of coal seam gas have been so well documented. They have been documented in terms of the damage to the land, to the soil; the contamination; the damage to our water reserves and to people themselves. People report the skin rashes. There could be possible carcinogenic impacts. There are a whole range of problems. There are many unknowns with how this industry is conducted. It is excellent news today that AGL has moved out of the industry. The pressure—and it will be unrelenting—is now on Santos to move on. I congratulate all those who achieved the end of AGL and saving Gloucester and many other areas. Now we will save the Pilliga.