The Australian Greens congratulate Bruce Currie, Galilee Basin grazier, for standing up for his water and livelihood by legally challenging the Kevin's Corner coal mine.

"It's a disgrace that Mr Currie has to go to court to protect his water and livelihood," Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens Deputy Leader and climate change spokesperson, said.

"The Turnbull and Palaszczuk governments are giving big mining companies priority over Queensland's precious groundwater, even though we're in drought.

The Greens condemn moves by the Palaszczuk Government to stick with the Newman Government's plan to give big mining companies free water at the expense of the environment and agriculture.

Qld Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens Deputy Leader and mining spokesperson, said:

"Pushing ahead with Campbell Newman's plan to let big mining companies suck up as much groundwater as they want for free, without community rights to object, would be a shameful breach of an election promise from Labor.

Senator RHIANNON (New South Wales) (17:44): The Water Amendment Bill is a sloppy piece of legislation. It is very confusing, and when you sit down and read it you really wonder what the purpose of it is. What is the intent? Clearly the government has an aim here. You start to wonder what the driver is. What is the political interest going on here? What was the intent of the Liberal and National Parties when they came up with this?

"Tony Abbott should feel deeply ashamed when he is at the Pacific Islands Forum this week," Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens Deputy Leader and climate change spokesperson, said.

"Pacific nations want Australia to be a leader, not a laggard, on climate action.

"Australia is the biggest polluter per capita and Tony Abbott's plan is to keep it that way. Tony Abbott is even letting companies, especially mining companies, increase their pollution without any penalty.

Senator Waters comments on the government's own modelling showing Tony Abbott over-exaggerated the cost of climate action:

"You can't trust Tony Abbott, especially when it comes to climate change," Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens climate change spokesperson, said.

"The overdue release of the government's modelling late Friday afternoon reveals that Tony Abbott told Australians the cost of a 40 per cent target was more than four times what was actually modelled.

"Queenslanders clearly saw through this waste of their own money and it's insulting that the Newman Government tried to fool them.

"It was clear to Queenslanders that Campbell Newman was intent on putting coal above the Reef and they booted him out at the election.

"Queenslanders will feel betrayed that the new Labor Government has continued down the track of dredging to turn the Reef into a shipping super highway for coal exports to cook the planet. 

Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens spokesperson for women, on Tony Abbott's comments about women in the Liberal Party: 

“Tony Abbott’s rhetoric is farcical, given his atrocious track record of sexist comments and funding cuts disproportionately impacting women, as well as his failure to promote women. 

The Queensland Government report that shows underground coal gasification has contaminated prime agricultural land near Chinchilla and reports of investigators becoming sick should spell the end of the industry.

"Governments are using Queensland communities and the prime agricultural land they farm as test bunnies," Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens Deputy Leader, said.

"It's time to end this toxic experiment with our land, water and people's health that is underground coal gasification and coal seam gas mining alike.

With two days of hearings into salmon farming in Tasmania now completed, the Greens spokesperson for Fisheries, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, provides the following comments.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “When I instigated this inquiry I said it was needed to shine some light into muddy waters regarding how the industry is regulated, and I believe we have achieved that.

The Greens strongly condemn the Abbott Government's approval of the Chinese-owned Shenhua Watermark coal mine in the Liverpool Plains to ruin high-quality farmland and cook the planet.

Australian Greens Deputy Leader and mining spokesperson, Senator Larissa Waters, said:

"The Abbott Government is again putting overseas mining interests ahead of farmers and our climate.

"This mega coal mine is set to produce 268 million tonnes of coal over 30 years, just three kilometres from the nearest down of Breeza, yet the climate impacts were not even legally considered.