Greens Leader Christine Milne says changes to the Foreign Investment Review Board are a step in the right direction, but there's a long way to go if Australia is serious about protecting our food future.

"It's critical we make sure that Australia's agricultural land and water are seen as key national assets not to be sold off recklessly," said Senator Milne.

The Australian Greens are calling to halt unconventional gas extraction right across the country after the contamination of groundwater from Santos' operation in north-western NSW.

"20 times the safe limit of uranium in the water there. That's a shocking finding that demonstrates the extreme danger to communities posed by coal seam gas extraction," said Greens Leader Christine Milne.

"The community has been told endlessly that there will be no contamination of aquifers, but now there is proof.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Christine Milne has said that in the century of food insecurity, the government should be cracking down on foreign investors buying up Australian farms.

"Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott have an open slather approach when it comes to foreign ownership of Australia's prime agricultural land and water," Senator Milne said.

"Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2011 revealed more than 45 million hectares of Australia's prime agricultural land was foreign owned.

Subjects: coal seam gas, asylum seekers

Transcript

Subjects: Warragamba dam, climate change adaptation, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF), coal seam gas

Senators Christine Milne and Larissa Waters addressed the press on our environmental protection laws, the NDIS and other issues of the day.

Christine Milne and Larissa Waters responded to the Federal Government's draft environmental standards to abandon their responsibilities to the states.

The Gunns statement to the Australian stock exchange today confirms that the Tamar Valley pulp mill is dead in the water and is not now or has ever been economically viable, the Australian Greens said today

Tasmania now faces Gunns conducting a clearing out sale as Mr L' Estrange oversees the writing down of assets in an attempt to salvage the company.

With consensus building across political parties to introduce a register to track foreign ownership of agricultural land and water resources in Australia, it is time for a broad public discussion about where the long-term national interest lies and how to protect it for today and tomorrow, the Australian Greens said today.