The...

The Australian
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/tony-abbott-changes-tack-over-coal-seam-gas-on-farms/story-fn59niix-1226172642421

TONY Abbott has backed away from his position that farmers should be able to keep gas companies off their land, saying a responsible government shouldn't "lock the gate" on billions of dollars of investment.

Speaking to 2GB's Alan Jones program this morning, Mr Abbott carefully avoided a repeat of his declaration to the broadcaster in August that farmers should “have a right to say no”.

The Opposition Leader today said farmers deserved a fairer deal when it came to coal seam gas extraction, but the investment it produced could be too good to pass up.

“Now my position is if there is the possibility of picking up billions of dollars we'd be silly not to take it,” Mr Abbott said.

“Now an adult government does not lock the gate so to speak (to investment).

“What an adult government does is try to find out exactly what all the facts are and manages things in ways that secure tomorrow.”

He said managing the gas industry was a question of balance and following scientific advice.

The comments were in stark contrast to those Mr Abbott made on the same program two months ago.

“If you don't want something to happen on your land, you ought to have a right to say no,” he told Jones at the time.

“People are entitled to be concerned about any situation where miners are coming on to land against the wishes of landholders.”

The comments in August sparked outrage from industry and the states, with the Queensland government accusing him of seeking to turn the clock back on 100 years of mining tenure.

The federal government accused Mr Abbott at the time of planning to take a wrecking ball to the mining sector and placing billions of dollars of investment at risk.

Jones is a fierce opponent of the coal seam gas industry, arguing it is destroying agricultural land and the country way of life.

He called this week for a moratorium on all future coal seam gas development
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