TUESDAY’S Senate committee hearing in Narrabri into coal seam gas mining in the Murray-Darling Basin was not only “an opportunity to hear all sides of the argument, but allowed witnesses to speak without the fear of intimidation”, committee chairman Senator Bill Heffernan said.
“I think it’s important to hear all sides of the argument. Some are way out there, some are not so far out there,” Senator Heffernan said.
He said mining companies had an obligation to their shareholders to maximise their profits.
“That’s fair enough,” he said.
“At the same time, we’ve got to think about where we are going to be in 50 to 80 years’ time with the global food task.
“I mean, they often say they’re not making any more land.”
Senator Heffernan said there were “umpteen” options for the global energy task. “It’s patently obvious, because of the gold-rush mentality of energy, the global energy task is absolutely devouring the global food task,” he said.
The senator, who has chaired a Senate committee on aquifers, said he was well briefed and “was able to argue on detail rather than political bull****”.
“With people like the CSIRO, they’ve got a job to do, but obviously when you grind them into it, they will own up to you that the science is unknown. This is a living experiment which could have serious consequences, and it’s a shame that some of the rules and some of the understanding wasn’t put in place before the rush mentality of ‘let’s get the river of gold’,” he said.
Senator Heffernan said anecdotal evidence was emerging in the United States that well linings were corroding and there was cross-contamination of aquifers.
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