The Australian Greens welcome today’s modelling of the cumulative water impacts of coal seam gas in the Surat Basin, but say the Queensland and Australian Governments should not have issued approvals for CSG before this and other comprehensive scientific research has been done.

The Draft Underground Water Impact Report released by the Queensland Water Commission predicts some bores in Queensland’s best food-producing land will drop up to 150m and take at least the rest of the century to recover by 50 per cent.

The Australian Greens are calling for an open and genuine dialogue between the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) and the National Farmers Federation, to ensure that farmers’ legitimate concerns regarding coal seam gas are addressed.

“APPEA’s attempts to sidestep the groundswell of farming communities opposed to coal seam gas simply highlight how effective the Lock the Gate movement is,” Australian Greens spokesperson for mining, Senator Larissa Waters said today.

The Labor, Liberal and National parties have again failed to commit to action on risky coal seam gas mining, voting down a second Greens motion for a moratorium on CSG two days before the Queensland state elections.

“The Greens want to secure a better future for Queensland, a safer future with some protection for our good food-producing land, our water and our environment from the dangers posed by the runaway CSG industry,” Australian Greens mining spokesperson Senator Larissa Waters said.

Senator Larissa Waters speaks to Fran Kelly at ABC Radio National's Breakfast program, about the upcoming Queensland elections, her coal seam gas bill and the allegations made by Clive Palmer.

A Government-commissioned study into the climate impacts of coal seam gas remains secret, after the Labor, Liberal and National parties today voted down a Greens motion to make the Wilkenfeld study public.

“The coal seam gas industry’s claims to be more climate-friendly than coal are being increasingly challenged by overseas scientific evidence, which is why we need Australian independent science into the real climate impacts of CSG,” Australian Greens environment spokesperson Senator Larissa Waters said.

Audio of Sen. Waters' doorstop in Canberra on the defeat of a Greens' imquiry into the impacts of the coal seam gas industry.

Both the Government and the Coalition have chosen to stay in the dark about the real impacts of coal seam gas mining in Australia, by today voting down the Greens' proposal for the first nation-wide coal seam gas Senate inquiry.

The refusal to support widespread community concern about the impacts of CSG after today's public revelations that Bob Katter, now a vocal opponent of coal seam gas, in fact vetoed giving farmers any right to say no to mining on their land when he was Queensland Mines Minister in 1989.

Senator Larissa Waters talks to the media about the Food Security and Coal Seam Gas Forum held in Brisbane today.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown and Senator for Queensland Larissa Waters spoke to reporters in Canberra today about the government's support for making the Great Barrier reef a rubbish dump and called for action in the public interest from the media inquiry report due out today.

The looming Cabinet reshuffle, including hopes for an effective environment minister, and the need to inform the public about the power of lobbyists were among other topics discussed.

The Australian community expects to see action from the Australian Government on coal seam gas, as the response to the Senate Inquiry's recommendations to protect our land and our water from the dangers of coal seam gas mining is due tomorrow.

"Australians have waited and waited for the federal Government to take action on coal seam gas, and to recognise that our farmland is under threat and regional communities up in arms about the long-term risks of this new fossil fuel," Australian Greens mining spokesperson Senator Larissa Waters said.