Not nice.

I feel like a real lucky feller
With her, but I really must tell ‘er:
It’s really insane
To walk in the rain
With me, and not share the umbrella!

Four Greens in the lower house! It isn't enough, but it is a start. For those who are not Australian, we had a state election with the winner having a mandate to lease our electricity delivery infrastructure to Private Interests for 99 years.
OK, but if that must be, lets not force people who choose to generate their own electricity and are off the grid to pay as if they were. Ie, if you cut the wires to your house, you are totally responsible for your own electricity supply and do not pay anything to an electricity supplier. If we do not preclude that now, we pay for 99 years for something we do not receive nor want- about 90 years longer than Big Coal can survive.

Thank you Tess and to RAD for his evocative photo prompt.

Do they think we are completely stupid?

This is the Great Artesian Basin that provides good quality water to farms that are lucky enough to lie over it. This aquifer is replenished from rainfall as far away as Papua New Guinea, and more locally in the Pilliga Scrub.
Coal seams exist within the aquifer, with porous rock above and below the coal.
So, why would anyone be willing to jeopardise this crucial and forever source of water by drilling and fraccing coal seams that are integral to it?.
Gas seeping through the aquifer itself will infiltrate, as gas does, the whole strata.
Toxic chemicals used in fraccing can also move through the aquifer, with the potential of rendering it useless as a water source forever. Forever is a long time.

Now I quote Martin Ferguson, ex Labor politician, now working for the coal and gas industries says: "By threatening to kill the Santos Pilliga project, Luke Foley (Opposition Leader) is sending  a very clear message that he doesn't care about jobs or energy security for NSW."

So, he is saying; for immediate mining jobs, we should be willing to sacrifice this priceless water source. He does not say anything about alternatives in less sensitive areas, or stranded assets, not to mention jobs in green energy. Our governments at all levels seem hell bent on denying climate change and pursuing dirty energy!

Meanwhile, take a look at this from Naomi Klein. (you might need to copy and paste)
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/video/2015/mar/25/naomi-klein-climate-change-lets-kick-oil-price-video?CMP=ema_632