Protection laws for water spark electioneering calls Tony Burke: Environment minister. The Coalition has accused Labor of "blind-siding" miners with new laws empowering the federal government to stop coal seam gas wells and big coalmines that pose a threat to water supply. But with community campaigns against coal seam gas and coalmines building in several marginal electorates, Coalition resources spokesman Ian MacFarlane would not say whether he would repeal the new laws in government. "It is hard to see why these laws are required, it looks like a political fix to us, but we want to look at the legislation before we announce a position," Mr MacFarlane said. Environment Minister Tony Burke said on Tuesday the powers would give the federal government the clout the public assumed it already had. Confirming the federal government would introduce legislation to include water as a trigger for its involvement in approval processes under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, Mr Burke said under existing laws he could only take water into account if he could link the environmental damage of water contamination or disruption to a threatened species or a wetland. The government is contacting scores of mines and coal seam gas projects that have not yet achieved final approval to inform them they will now need to provide new information on the impact of their plans on ground and surface water. "Realistically whenever I have made a decision on coal seam gas, the Australian public would expect that we are taking into account all the impacts on our precious water resources," Mr Burke said. Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association chief executive David Byers said the laws would increase costs to industry while delivering no environmental benefit. But the move, which makes good on a promise by the Gillard government to independent Tony Windsor during negotiations to form government in 2010, is likely to pass the Parliament with Mr Windsor, fellow independents Rob Oakeshott and Bob Katter and the Greens all saying they will back it. Mr Burke made his announcement flanked by Labor backbenchers Justine Elliott, Janelle Saffin and Laurie Ferguson, all of whom have campaigned against coal seam gas projects planned for their electorates. Mr Windsor said there had been a "breakdown in trust" over coal seam gas approvals in NSW, where successive governments had been "dodging" the issue of the impact of the wells and big coalmines on water. The NSW government said the federal announcement was driven primarily by electioneering. Greens Senator Larissa Waters accused Mr Burke of agreeing to the new powers only after he had approved three big coal seam gas projects in Queensland and at Gloucester in NSW, without the water information he says is essential. She will try to amend the legislation to include shale mining projects.