THE push for a direct commonwealth takeover of coal-seam gas exploration and mining approvals that threaten water supplies is doomed to failure after two separate bills were rejected by powerful parliamentary committees.
A Senate committee found a Greens bill to toughen environmental laws went too far because it singled out the mining industry and cut across other state and federal negotiations on water.
A house committee recommended independent Tony Windsor's original bill "not be passed at this time" after a deal was done as part of the mining tax negotiations to standardise state laws and establish an expert scientific committee to review the CSG industry's impact on water.
The call for increased federal oversight of the CSG industry has been in response to rising public concern about the potential environmental impact of CSG exploration.
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The Australian
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