Call for new laws to protect farms and water from coal seam gas mining

Greens leader Bob Brown, in Toowoomba today, is calling on Environment

Minister Garrett to place a moratorium on coal seam gas mining and

exploration until adequate environmental protections are in place. 

"The rich farming land and vital water of the Surat Basin is worth around $2

billion, and should not be put at risk by the rapid, and hazardous,

expansion of the coal seam (CSG) mining industry," Senator Brown said. 

Senator Brown said that he would move to amend federal laws to make go

ahead of coal seam gas projects subject to federal assessment and approval

under the Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act. 

Senator Brown and Queensland Greens Senate Candidate Larissa Waters, who is an

environmental lawyer, are meeting with concerned farmers on the Darling

Downs today.  "Coal seam gas mining should not proceed at the expense of

food production, water security, endangered species or the climate," said

Ms. Waters. 

"These CSG projects involve significant land clearing,

destroying thousands of hectares of vegetation, including the habitat of

koalas and a number of endangered species, such as the Bridled Nail-Tail

Wallaby, the Grey Falcon and the Brigalow Woodland Snail.

For more: Greens call for moratorium & new laws to protect farms and water from coal seam gas mining