The Australian Greens will today introduce a bill to give South Australian landholders the right to say no to coal and gas mining on their land.

The bill also seeks to ban all fracking for unconventional gas, said Australian Greens Senator for South Australia Penny Wright.

"It's a disgrace that landholders still do not have any legal rights to protect their land, water and climate from coal and gas mining," Senator Wright said.

"It sets landholders up for a David and Goliath battle, because the mining companies know farmers don't have any options.

The Labor and Liberal Parties have voted down an Australian Greens motion congratulating the South East Local Government Association's unanimous vote in favour of a moratorium on unconventional gas.

New South Australian Family First Senator Bob Day also voted against the motion moved in the Senate today by Australian Greens Senator for South Australia Penny Wright.

Senator Wright said she was surprised South Australian senators hadn't shown more support.

I move that the Senate:

1.      notes the importance of protecting valuable agricultural, residential and conservation land from unconventional gas activities;

2.      supports the right of landholders and local residents to say "no" to unconventional gas exploration and mining in their communities;

3.      recognises the concerns expressed by communities in the South East of South Australia over potential groundwater contamination from unconventional gas activities; and

The Australian Greens have moved to protect South Australian farmers from shale gas fracking, as community concern grows over unconventional mining on farming land.

Australian Greens Senator for South Australia Senator Penny Wright today sponsored a Senate motion in favour of giving landholders legal rights to refuse shale and fracking on their properties.

"This is a dangerous industry that puts our precious water and farming land at risk," Senator Wright said.

We give notice that on the next day of sitting we shall move that -

The Senate notes:

1.    The concern of communities in South Australia and Western Australia about their land and water being threatened by shale and other unconventional gas mining.

2.    That landholders lack the legal right to refuse shale and other unconventional gas mining on their land.

3.    The scientific uncertainty surrounding the environmental and health implications of hydraulic fracturing ('fracking') for shale and other unconventional gas mining.

Greens Senator for WA Scott Ludlam will join protestors rallying in Fremantle tomorrow - Saturday 17 August - against the controversial method of underground gas extraction known as fracking.

"The WA Parliamentary Inquiry into hydraulic fracturing or ‘fracking' announced this week is a good idea given the Barnett Government's plans to massively ramp up this industry in the Mid-West, Kimberley and elsewhere in WA," Senator Ludlam said.