Craig Emerson said on Adelaide radio this morning in regards to the approval of coal seam gas developments that:
There are real hazards in having two layers of environmental approval. That is a state government layer and a federal government layer.
Craig needs to explain whether this statement means that he does not support his government’s placing of over 300 environmental conditions on coal gas developments under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
As Minister for the Environment, Tony Burke, said last October:
I have imposed more than 300 strict conditions each on the Santos and Queensland Gas Company coal seam gas projects to help protect groundwater -dependent species and minimise other environmental impacts.*
Further conditions were placed on the Australia Pacific LNG project in February this year.**
Craig seems to be more focused on making political points than protecting farmland, the environment and communities.
If Craig clarifies his comments to correct the record does that mean he is guilty of saying one thing to one audience and another to a different audience?