More than 21,000 people have signed a petition to ban a type of seismic testing licence, and now two MPs from different parts of the political spectrum are trying to get them banned too.

Tasmanian Liberal MP Bridget Archer backed a private members bill introduced by teal independent MP Monique Ryan in federal parliament yesterday, aiming to abolish special prospecting authority (SPA) permits.

Both politicians have electorates near the Bass Strait — the stretch of ocean between Victoria and Tasmania — where companies have recently applied to do testing under SPAs.

SPAs allow companies the right to explore sections of the ocean using seismic testing, also called "seismic blasting", which involves firing air guns with soundwaves of up to 250 decibels at the sea bed, then analysing the results to form a picture of what lies beneath.

No drilling can take place under an SPA and the tests cost $8,250.

There is widespread opposition to seismic testing, with commercial fishery workers citing reduced catch and advocates citing evidence that suggests the practice impacts the behaviour and health of ocean life, sometimes causing death.

"Our environmental protections are grossly inadequate … when, for a derisory fee, an area of seabed larger than Tasmania can be made available to overseas-based firms for a speculative form of environmental vandalism — a process which inflicts auditory violence on our marine life," Ms Ryan said in a statement released yesterday.

The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) has been campaigning to ban SPAs for about a year, dubbing the licences "cowboy permits for cowboy operators".

SPAs in the Bass Strait  

Six weeks ago an SPA application for the largest seismic testing project ever proposed in Australian waters, slated for the Otway Basin, was pulled by its proponent.

Last week, a separate SPA application from data collection company CGG, seeking to to explore for oil and gas in waters off Victoria's south-west coast, was re-submitted to the offshore regulator for a third time.

There will be no chance for public feedback on the most recent version of the application, which proposes to conduct seismic testing in waters covering about 4,000 square kilometres from Portland to past Port Fairy.

The public comment period for the plan closed in January, before the first version of the environmental plan was submitted.

The ABC understands it received 17,900 through the AMCS submission action alone.

The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) has returned the environment plan to CGG twice, requesting further information.

However, formal public consultation is not required on new iterations of the plan.

"Whether it's people from the fishing industry, First Nations people who have whale song dreaming impacted by this, and communities from Tasmania to Victoria, it's now a really hard-to-track, hard-to-engage-with process."

At time of publish, NOPSEMA had not made the updated environment plan for the Regia MSS seismic survey available for public viewing. 

Wildlife concerns

In September, Warrnambool local Carli Reeve, who holds a bachelor of biology and environmental science, released a report detailing concerns about the impact of CGG's proposed testing on a number of little penguin colonies along Victoria's west coast.

"If the seismic blasting happens too close to the colonies during the breeding season when they lay their eggs and raise their chicks, then in trying to avoid the intense underwater soundwaves, the parents would likely get concentrated into smaller areas along the coastline," Ms Reeve said. 

CGG's environmental plan includes a 20-km buffer zone in which seismic testing will not be allowed, around each of the little penguin colonies, with the exception of the colony at Deen Maar, which has a buffer zone of 17.5km.

But Ms Reeve said seismic testing could have impacts on little penguins up to 77km from the sound source. 

"They will be physically impacted … the blasting will cause them discomfort, stress them out, interfere with their ability to forage for prey and function normally," she said. 

The ABC understands CGG have amended the environment plan to include references to the little penguin colonies at London Bridge, Gibson Steps, and Lawrence Rocks.  

CGG documents show seismic testing would most likely occur during April, May and June, when key breeding season for little penguins has ended, however it is within the key migration period for the endangered southern right whale.

A spokesperson for CGG said the company was "aware of the concerns for little penguins in the region and has been consulting directly with community members and groups to manage and mitigate any potential impacts".

December deadline

NOPSEMA have until December 12 to make a decision on whether CGG's environment plan meets the criteria for acceptance, unless it is determined extra time is needed to assess the plan. 

In a statement, Shadow Resources Minister Susan McDonald accused the Albanese Labor government of "attempting to stop the use of seismic testing".

A spokesperson for federal Resources Minister Madeleine King said there was continued need for exploration of onshore and offshore gas resources, but "new seismic surveys will only be approved where absolutely necessary".

"Senator McDonald's allegation that the Albanese government is teaming up with the crossbench to ban seismic surveying is complete rubbish," the spokesperson said.

"We note that the bill is being seconded by a Liberal MP — Opposition Leader Peter Dutton should make clear whether he supports this proposed ban brought by a member of his own party."

Federal Member for Wannon Dan Tehan, whose electoral division also borders the Base Strait, did not respond to the ABC's request for comment.