Scamps and Hanson-Young both introduced water trigger bills – Scamps in the lower house and Hanson-Young in the Senate – on Monday, and urged the government to back them. The independent MP Sophie Scamps and Hanson-Young said, given the delay, the government should bring forward one part of the promised changes – strengthening the “water trigger” to ensure local water resources were protected from fracking for gas – and pass it this year. In a letter to Plibersek released publicly, the Greens’ Sarah Hanson-Young said it had been indicated during a government briefing for her office in September that the legislation would not reach the Senate for “at least another 12 months”. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup She said the new laws were complex and the legislation would be more than 1,000 pages. In a statement last week, Plibersek said the government would begin consulting this month with more than 30 environment, business, and industry groups on legislation that would be introduced to parliament next year.
