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

A new report out today shows Tasmania is spending $17 million to prop up mining and minerals processing industries, even though low global prices are rendering some mines unviable, said Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne.

"The Australia Institute report shows that for the $17 million in corporate welfare to the miners from the Tasmanian government on roads and other subsidies, we got back just $49 million in royalties," Senator Milne said.

The Australian Greens will explore avenues to appeal a decision allowing seismic testing off the coast of Kangaroo Island.

The application by Canadian company Bight Petroleum to conduct seismic testing as a precursor to oil and gas drilling has been approved by NOPSEMA, despite strong community opposition.

Australian Greens Senator for South Australia Penny Wright said she would explore avenues for appeal when further documents are released.

Shree Minerals has now confirmed its iron ore operation in the Tarkine has been suspended and the Australian Greens say it's clear Tasmania's future is not in mining.

"This cynical political experiment has failed. It's time to stop pretending that destroying the Tarkine will deliver any kind of prosperity to Tasmania," said Greens Leader and Tasmanian Senator Christine Milne.

"Who could forget the pre-election hype from then AWU president Paul Howes, federal minister Tony Burke and Premier Lara Giddings, trying to justify destruction of the Tarkine?

The Australian Greens say Tony Abbott's budget has been written for big business and will further divide Australia between the haves and have-nots, especially for sick, young and vulnerable people.

"This is a divisive and brutal budget written in the boardrooms of big business," Greens Leader Christine Milne said.

"Tony Abbott's rhetoric about sharing the burden is a lie. Big business has been quarantined. Young people, the sick and vulnerable take the biggest hit.

Adani's Carmichael mega coal mine, just approved by the Queensland Government, should be refused by federal Minister Hunt for climate, environmental and economic reasons, say the Australian Greens.

"Coal in the Galilee Basin must stay in the ground if we are to deliver a safe climate and a sustainable economy to our grandchildren, rather than just make Campbell Newman's mining mates richer," Australian Greens' mining spokesperson, Senator Larissa Waters, said.

The mining company that was supposed to bring a jobs boom to northwest Tasmania is coming unstuck, prompting the Australian Greens to once again call for the Tarkine to be protected.

Amid reports that Shree Mining is in serious financial strife, Greens Leader and Tasmanian Senator Christine Milne says it's clear that promised economic and jobs benefits were nothing more than unsubstantiated hype.

The Australian Greens welcome the first public hearings of the Greens initiated Senate inquiry into environmental offsets, in Sydney this morning.

"There's a lot of community and scientific interest in this inquiry, with many Australians outraged that environmental offsets are being used as a tick and flick for destructive developments," Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens environment spokesperson, said.

The Australian Greens are today urging the Abbott Government to put protecting our climate and precious water resources ahead of profits for coal barons when considering BHP's application for Australia's biggest underground coalmine.

"With the International Energy Agency advising global emissions have to peak in 2017 if we want to avoid irreversible climate change, it's sheer economic and environmental madness to develop a new mine that won't be online until 2021," Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens mining spokesperson, said.

The Australian Greens are calling on the Queensland Environment Minister to put the climate ahead of Gina Rinehart and GVK's Alpha coal mine after the Land Court's decision today.

"Despite finding the mine will have real and "of concern" climate impacts, the court's decision proves that it's high time we change our environmental laws so that this kind of climate destruction cannot be given the green light," Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens mining spokesperson, said.