Natural Resources Committee: Unconventional Gas (Fracking) Final Report

Adjourned debate (resumed on motion).

Mr BELL (Mount Gambier) (11:54): I rise to speak to the 106^th report of the Natural Resources Committee on unconventional gas. Following on from the Treasurer's comments, it is quite interesting that when you have a minister who does not like the findings, or a government that does not like the findings, they are very quick to dismiss whatever process has been put in place. I would remind the Treasurer that this was a Labor dominated committee, with three Labor members, two Liberals and an Independent.

The committee found, as I had been expressing for a very long time, that there is no social licence to operate in the South-East of South Australia. Without that social licence, it would be impossible for a mining company to explore or start producing gas from fracture stimulation. Being on committees, I know how much work goes into them, and I would like to thank the members of that committee: the Hon. Steph Key, the Presiding Member; the Hon. Rob Brokenshire MLC; the Hon. John Dawkins MLC; Mr Jon Gee; the Hon. Gerry Kandelaars; and Mr Peter Treloar, the member for Flinders.

What may be really hard to understand is what we have seen reported by Daniel Wills in the paper today: 'Populism rules under martial law'. It is almost like the Treasurer himself wrote that headline because people in South Australia have not been listened to on many issues. This is a very clear example of what a change of government will provide to the people of South Australia—that is, the people's voice being listened to.

That headline could have easily read, 'The people's voice has been listened to, and the government is taking action', or it could have read, 'The Liberals listened to community concerns and acted decisively', but, no, we have more rhetoric and more spin along the lines that this is somehow some populist position. This has been a very difficult position to come to. There are lots of proponents on our side who support fracking. I must admit that our position does not talk about conventional gas extraction, which has been going in the Katnook gas region for a very long time.

Again, when the government does not like something it will attack the process. We have had the nuclear debate with a citizens' jury; that has now been tossed out because they do not like its findings. We had the South-East drainage funding citizens' jury; again, they do not like that, so they just ignore the recommendations. This is going to be a very stark reminder to the people of South Australia that in March 2018, if they want a government that is going to listen to them and act decisively, they need to change this government. They actually need to vote Liberal at the next election.

I will not resile from my position as a local member of sticking up for the interests in my region. They have been saying to me loud and clear for three years—in fact, it was before I was even elected, so for nearly four years—that they have major concerns with fracking in the South-East. An area that contributes over a billion to this state's economy cannot be put at risk by an industry that people in the South-East do not support. That is why the number one finding talks about that. It comes into a larger issue—that the Department of State Development cannot be the promoter and the regulator of this industry. No wonder people distrust that system.

If there is one thing this government can take out of this, it is to have an independent regulator where farmers can go to have their grievances heard and have their issues dealt with in an independent manner. Sadly, that is unlikely to happen because we have a government, particularly the front bench, that is deaf to the people of South Australia. They have stopped listening. It is as though Labor is just talking to themselves and believing what is echoed in the room, instead of really listening to the people of South Australia. You cannot ride roughshod over the people of South Australia. I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.