THE Limestone Coast Protection Alliance has praised outgoing Greens parliamentarian Mark Parnell for his efforts in securing a 10-year legislated moratorium on fracking in the South East.
The parliamentary leader of the SA Greens in the Legislative Council will retire at the end of his eight-year term in 2022.
Limestone Coast Protection Alliance chair Angus Ralton said Mr Parnell’s advocacy on the issue was instrumental in securing a legislated ban.
“We are incredibly grateful for all of the support Mark Parnell gave rural communities during our fight against fracking and the establishment of the moratorium,” he said.
“He was so important in getting the Liberal Party over the line and get the moratorium legislated.
“His contribution cannot be underestimated and we are forever grateful to him.”
Mr Parnell has been vehemently opposed to hydraulic fracturing for years and in 2014, moved a successful motion to launch an inquiry into unconventional gas exploration in the South East.
Following the completion of the inquiry, the State Liberals pledged to implement a 10-year ban on the practice if elected to government at the 2018 election.
After the Liberals refused to legislate the ban, Mr Parnell introduced a bill to enshrine decade-long ban on unconventional gas extraction in the Limestone Coast in the state’s upper house.
Ahead of the vote, members of the protection alliance joined Mr Parnell, independent Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell and Liberal MP Nick McBride at a demonstration in front of Government House.
Ultimately, the bill was defeated with a vote of 17 to four, with only Mr Parnell and Greens colleague Tammy Franks and SA-Best MLCs Frank Pangallo and Connie Bonaros voting in favour of the legislated ban.
Months later, Mr Bell moved an identical motion the state’s lower house with the support of the entire Liberal Party.
Mr Parnell described the legislated moratorium as “a business and a half” which required multiple bills and multiple members to enshrine it into law.
“The Greens position will be no surprise to anyone – we think we should be out of the fossil fuel industry,” he said.
“I think the government has wasted a lot of money giving it to exploration companies in the South East.
“One of the things that has come out at the moment as a result of COVID-19 is jobs and looking at gas exploration, we need to look at how many long-term jobs are generated because it does not stack up.
“There’s no bigger waste than throwing taxpayers money at the fossil fuel industry.”
Mr Parnell was the first SA Greens representative to be elected to South Australian Parliament at the 2006 election and was re-elected for another eight-year term in the Legislative Council at the 2014.
He has chosen announce his retirement early to allow prospective candidates sufficient time to prepare for the party’s impending preselection.
