Wednesday, September 12

CSG panel a toothless tiger’

A new scientific expert panel charged with assessing coal seam gas (CSG) projects will be a ‘toothless tiger’ with conflicts of interest, the Senate was told yesterday.
 
After seven hours of debate, the Senate passed government legislation to set up an advisory panel that could use the best available science to help authorities decide CSG disputes between farmers and miners.
 
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development) Bill 2012 passed with amendments and now returns to the lower house for a final nod of approval.
 
It follows growing concern about how the rapidly growing resource projects will affect productive land and underground water systems.
 
The $150 million committee is being created as a part of a deal between independent MP Tony Windsor and Labor in return for Mr Windsor’s support of the minority government’s mining tax.
 
Liberal senator Bill Heffernan warned the committee would be a ‘toothless tiger.’
 
 
Echo Net Daily

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