MEDIA RELEASE - 22 May 2013

The Greens NSW spokesperson on mining Jeremy Buckingham today welcomed the Government’s Bill to strengthen the Petroleum (Onshore) Act with stricter regulations and tougher penalties, but committed the Greens in both the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council to move amendments to give farmers and other landholders the right to say no to having coal seam gas on their land. 

Both the Mining and Petroleum (Onshore) Acts allow mining companies to force arbitration to gain access to land, if a landholder rejects an access agreement.  The changes introduced by the government’s Petroleum (Onshore) Amendment Bill 2013 do not address this issue.

“The Greens believe that farmers and other landholders should have the right to say no to coal seam gas mining on their property,” said Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham.

“We will move amendments to the Bill that remove the arbitration provisions, meaning mining companies and landholders must come to a voluntary agreement, rather than the mining company being able to force their way on to a property through arbitration.

“This means that if a landholder does not want coal seam gas, or does not agree to the conditions in an access agreement, they can reject that agreement without fear of being dragged into an arbitration process.

“These amendments will test the commitment of local members to protecting their constituents rights to farm or otherwise enjoy their property without a mining company forcing its way on.

“Members like Kevin Humphries, George Souris, Kevin Anderson, Thomas George, Chris Gulaptis, Pru Goward, Stephen Bromhead, Mark Coulton, Gareth Ward, Bryan Doyle, and others will have a chance to show where they really stand on the right of farmers and landholders to say no to coal seam gas.

“Coal seam gas can be highly disruptive to farming activities and risks polluting the land and water.   Farmers and landholders around NSW and Queensland have been locking the gate to gas companies and it is time that the right to ‘lock the gate’ was recognised in legislation.”

Contact: Max Phillips – 9230 2202 or  0419 444 916

MEDIA RELEASE - 10 May 2013

The Greens NSW spokesperson on agriculture Jeremy Buckingham raised his concern that the O’Farrell Government was floundering on the detail of the Local Land Services (LLS), and called on the government to commit to maintaining funding in real terms for all services being taken into the LLS model. 

Finance Minister Pearce was unable to give an answer when asked about funding of LLS in Parliamentary Question Time. (See transcript below)

“The Finance Minister, Greg Pearce is asleep at the wheel and could not answer a basic question about funding of Local Land Services,” said Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham.

“This is the largest reform to governance structures for agriculture and natural resource management in living memory, and the Finance Minister does not seem to even be aware of its existence,”

“The Greens want a commitment from the government that the current funding for LHAPs, CMAs and extension services under DPI will be maintained, or increased, in real terms under the LLS model being pushed by the government.

“The city Liberals don’t have a clue about funding for rural services, but this is an important issue for farmers and country communities that rely on services and infrastructure provided by the bodies being brought under the new LLS,” he said.

Contact: Max Phillips – 9230 2202 or 0419 444 916

Hansard Transcript or watch video

LOCAL LAND SERVICES – 8 May 2013

The Hon. JEREMY BUCKINGHAM: My question is directed to the Minister for Finance and Services. Will the Government make a commitment to the farmers of New South Wales that the proposed Local Land Services will not be a slash and burn exercise and that current funding and services will be maintained in real terms?

The Hon. GREG PEARCE: Does anyone have a clue what that question was about?

The Hon. Steve Whan: Yes, I have. Would you like me to explain it to you?

The Hon. GREG PEARCE: Yes, I would actually.

The Hon. Jeremy Buckingham: It is about funding. Make a commitment.

The Hon. GREG PEARCE: He says it is about funding. Funding what? There are no cuts to farmers. As usual the Hon. Jeremy Buckingham is off with his North Korean controllers.

The Hon. Luke Foley: Michael Kirby is going to sort them.

The Hon. GREG PEARCE: That is right. I am pleased. I recognise the interjection from the Leader of the Opposition. The Hon. Michael Kirby will do a fair bit to sort out The Greens, and they need it. They really need to have a receiver and manager or, perhaps even better, a liquidator appointed to The Greens.

The Hon. Jeremy Buckingham: Point of order: It is relevance. We are a minute into the Minister’s answer and he has not mentioned anything that I raised in my question. I ask you to make sure the Minister’s answer is relevant to the question.

The PRESIDENT: Order! I uphold the point of order. Does the Minister have anything to add?

The Hon. GREG PEARCE: I simply say that if anybody can think of anything relevant to say in answer to that question I would be grateful for the help.

MEDIA RELEASE - 8 May 2013

The Greens NSW spokesperson on mining Jeremy Buckingham today said that AWU National Secretary Paul Howes was correct in the need for a domestic gas reservation policy to protect Australian manufacturing and consumers from a market failure relating to export of LNG from the East Coast, but that Howes was dead wrong on the need for CSG and totally out of step with the public. 

“We are staring down the barrel of a massive market failure caused by the race to export LNG from Gladestone, but the answer is sensible regulation, not to let coal seam gas rip on farms, cities and water catchments throughout NSW and Queensland,” said Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham.

“Paul Howes and I rarely see eye-to-eye, but I agree with him 100% on the need for a domestic gas reservation policy for the East Coast.

“The race to export LNG will see big Asian export contracts prioritised over domestic supply, resulting in a gas shortage for domestic users that will hit both residential consumers and manufacturers that use gas in their processes.

“An East Coast domestic gas reservation policy, that reserves gas for residential and manufacturing, but not electricity generation, would ensure access to gas for cooking, heating, manufacturing processes such as fertiliser and brickmaking, while ensuring the transition to renewable energy for electricity generation.

“There is plenty of conventional gas in Australia and some of that should be reserved for domestic use.  It is only the race to export large amounts of LNG that is behind the push for coal seam gas.

“However, Paul Howes is dead wrong on coal seam gas and his attack on Australian farmers concerned about the environmental impacts of CSG is disgraceful.  75% of Australians are opposed to coal seam gas for very good environmental reasons.

“Protecting productive agricultural land, water resources and communities is not ‘extremist’ and is far more important than a decade or two of gas exports,” he said.

Contact: Max Phillips – 9230 2202 or  0419 444 916

MEDIA RELEASE - 18 April 2013

Country Greens MP, Jeremy Buckingham responded to a press release by Nationals MP Kevin Humphries, accusing Mr Humphries of lazy politics and misleading the media and community. 

“Everyone knows the National Party is too close to the mining and gas industry with senior Nationals like John Anderson and Mark Vaile sitting on the boards of coal and gas companies.

“The Greens are pleased to stand up to protect farmers, land, water and regional communities, and are filling the void left by a failing National Party.

“Kevin Humphries is afraid of political competition, so after a visit by Australian Greens leader Christine Milne to Moree last week, he has been spinning lies about the Greens.  Humphries has never been the sharpest pencil in the box, but misleading his constituents is lazy and disrespectful.”

Kevin Humphries asserts that the Greens:

• “Want to extend National Parks onto prime agricultural land”.  Wrong!  Australian Greens agriculture policy says: “6. Government policy should not compromise the primacy of sustainable food and fibre production” and “20. Protection of prime agricultural land, water and infrastructure from urban expansion, mining, inappropriate biofuel crops and other competing uses and encroachments. “

• Will “remove the Diesel Fuel Rebate”.  Wrong!  The Greens want to keep the diesel fuel rebate for agriculture.  We want to remove the rebate only for the mining companies.
• Support a “return to death duties”.  Wrong!  The Greens no longer support an inheritance tax.  This was dropped as a policy last year.
• “Do not support irrigation or broad scale farming”.  Wrong!  The Greens support efficient and productive irrigation and agricultural systems that are sustainable and benefit farmers and regional communities.
• “Want a total end to the forest products industry”.  Wrong!  The Greens natural resource policy supports “A sustainable and productive wood products industry on public and private land that maintains or enhances the resilience of natural ecosystems and that creates long-term skilled jobs and social sustainability in regional communities.”

Mr Buckingham said: “It’s time the National Party dropped the lazy clichés and there was a genuine policy debate about the future of country Australia.

“The Greens have policies for successful and robust regional communities and economies based on sustainable agriculture, value adding to food and fibre production, investment in clean renewable energy, responsible mining that does not damage land and water resources, sustainable forestry, manufacturing, carbon abatement and other environmental services, tourism, and healthy service industry hooked into the world via an NBN.

“The Nationals are stuck in the past, towing along behind their Liberal Party masters.  MPs like Kevin Humphries need to lift their game,” he said.

Contact: Max Phillips – 9230 2202  or  0419 444 916