17th Jun 2009, 4:03 PM – Senate Motions — Cease Liverpool Plains Mining Exploration Before Hydrological Review

Bob Brown moved:

That the senate:

(a) notes the decision by the New South Wales Mining Warden permitting BHP Billiton to proceed with exploration for coal near and under prime food-growing floodplain at Caroona, in the centre of the Liverpool Plains, near Gunnedah;

(b) acknowledges the undiminished opposition to this exploration by local farmers and other members of the local communities and the independent Member for New England in the House of Representatives, Mr Tony Windsor; and

(c) calls on the Government:

• (i) to exercise all legal and ethical options available to cease the exploration activities of BHP Billiton at Caroona until the completion of the independent expert evaluation of the hydrology of the region, and also
• (ii) to cease the granting of all exploration licences for the purpose of resource and mineral extraction and undertake further independent studies into impacts of mining on the surficial and underground aquifer systems which form part of the Murray-Darling system if significant risks are identified in the expert evaluation currently underway.

Joe Ludwig explained Labor MPs’ opposition to this motion, saying that:

Section 255A of the Water Act 2007 requires independent expert assessment of groundwater impact prior to considering any approval for mining ... it is very important here to distinguish between exploration activity on the one hand and mining activity on the other hand. Exploration activity in itself is unlikely to have any significant water resource impacts.

Barnaby Joyce explained that Coalition MPs’ opposed the motion because they believed it was “more of a political statement, with political purpose, and that would go beyond their desire to actually achieve something here”, and had not been proceeded with “proper consultation”. He also said that the motion’s focus on Caroona in the Liverpool Plains was intended as a political “wedge” tactic:

Also, it talks about Caroona, as if Caroona in the Liverpool Plains is extremely important. But it is not the only important place. There are other parts of our nation that have the same concerns, which also deserve to be considered in motions such as these. So this issue is being taken to a form of base politics.