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

Commenting on reports today that gas bills are set to increase as LNG exports through Queensland ramp up, Senator Waters, Australian Greens spokesperson for mining said:

"Foreign-owned gas exporters are destroying our farmland, risking our groundwater and the Great Barrier Reef and are now making cost-of-living worse for Australians by driving up the price of gas.

Figures released today from Australian Petroleum Production Exploration Association (APPEA) comparing Queensland and NSW on coal seam gas extraction and employment figures ignore the detrimental cost to Australia's environment and the climate by CSG mining, say the Australian Greens.

"APPEA crows about the number of Queensland farmers who have signed up for CSG on their land - omitting the key point that those landowners don't have the legal right to refuse this risky industry," Australian Greens environment spokesperson, Senator Larissa Waters said.

The Australian Greens say Tony Abbott is actively leading Australia down a dark and dangerous path to suffering from global warming.

"On the international stage our Prime Minister is seen as ‘flaky'," said Greens Leader Christine Milne.

"Respected British economist Lord Nicholas Stern has seen fit to say that this government's actions show it's not serious about climate change."

Following the release of The Australia Institute’s report ‘Fracking the Future’ today, the Australian Greens will lodge a Senate motion calling for a suspension of current coal seam gas projects and no new approvals, given recent contamination of water with uranium and asbestos from CSG.

The Australian Greens have called for an end to coal seam and unconventional gas mining following reports today about asbestos contamination at Queensland CSG drill sites, after last week’s revelations about uranium contamination in New South Wales from CSG.

“When you have uranium and now asbestos potentially contaminating drinking water, this has got to be game over for the CSG industry,” Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens mining spokesperson, said.

The Australian Greens are calling to halt unconventional gas extraction right across the country after the contamination of groundwater from Santos' operation in north-western NSW.

"20 times the safe limit of uranium in the water there. That's a shocking finding that demonstrates the extreme danger to communities posed by coal seam gas extraction," said Greens Leader Christine Milne.

"The community has been told endlessly that there will be no contamination of aquifers, but now there is proof.

The old parties have voted down the Greens’ bill to give landholders the right to say no to coal and gas, in the Senate today, confirming the Greens are the only party standing up for farmers against the big mining companies.

A Lock the Gate delegation of farmers, traditional owners, tourism operators and winemakers watched on.