Senators fight gas evidence gag
Queensland Senators are fighting to let the public know about some seemingly dodgy CSG approvals.
Former state bureaucrat Simone Marsh has included allegations of rushed and incomplete approval processes in her submission to a senate inquiry.
Ms Marsh is trying to blow the whistle on gas giant Santos’ Gladstone LNG expansion, but a gag has been imposed on her evidence.
The Senate Inquiry into Certain Aspects of Queensland Government Administration has posted her submission online, with some important parts redacted.
Her evidence includes an email obtained under Queensland's Right to Information law detailing the rush for approvals.
Also among the suppressed documents is a draft letter from March 2010, in which a senior government official told Santos that information for the approval of much of the project was missing.
A fragment of the letter made public in Ms Marsh's submission shows the absence of key information meant most of the project could not be approved.
The letter was written by Colin Jensen, who was head of Queensland’s Coordinator-General, which was working to streamline major gas projects.
“Operational plans” for the location of CSG wells and pipelines were non-existent in Santos’ attempt at approval, and it also neglected details on ways it would meet environmental protection laws.
But despite the lack of basic details, the $24 billion project was approved less than two months later.
Ms Marsh has told Fairfax Media that the approval only happened because government officials added much of the extra detail themselves.
She says a $US20 billion QGC LNG project by UK-based BG Group was approved with a similar lack of independent oversight.
Ms Marsh resigned from her government role on the day of the QGC approval.
Senator Glenn Lazarus of the Palmer United Party and Greens Senator Larissa Waters will this week press their fellow members of the inquiry in to lift the gag on Ms Marsh’s evidence.
“I am determined to ensure the Senate Inquiry into the [Campbell] Newman Government gives all Queenslanders the opportunity to share their concerns and for their information or evidence to be made publicly available,” Senator Lazarus said.
Senator Waters said the inquiry’s look at CSG approvals under the previous Labor government of Anna Bligh was set up with “Ms Marsh's whistle-blowing in mind specifically”.
“It's vital that Ms Marsh's important evidence is made public, especially with the rush of coal and gas expansion across the country, and with this being a key issue in the NSW election,” Senator Waters said.