Cassy O'Connor MP | Greens' Leader and Mining spokesperson
Tasmania’s moratorium on destructive hydraulic fracturing or ‘fracking’ has strong community support and strengthens our clean, green brand, a point that is clearly lost on Federal Energy Minister, Josh Frydenberg.
Minister Frydenberg has called for States and Territories to lift any moratoriums or bans on fracking in order to increase unconventional gas exploration. This is the same Energy Minister who has attacked renewables and believes there is such a thing as ‘clean coal’.
Tasmania’s Resources Minister, Guy Barnett, needs to tell his Federal counterpart Tasmanians have said a firm ‘no’ to fracking because they have seen the environmental and social harm caused interstate and overseas.
Fracking has been linked to chemical contamination of water supplies, water resource depletion and seismic disturbance in other jurisdictions. It also disempowers land owners and local communities who have been shut out of decision making and approvals’ processes.
We can’t let that happen here in Tasmania. Our agricultural lands and lucrative brand are too precious to threaten by lifting the moratorium on fracking in Tasmania.
Minister Barnett needs to put Tasmania and its people first, and rule out acquiescing to Mr Frydenberg’s call.
The Greens will continue to push for a permanent ban on fracking in Tasmania, and will bring our Bill prohibiting fracking permanently to Parliament for debate this year.