River on fire in Greens MP's video is natural, not fracking, says CSIRO

Jeremy Buckingham says scientists 'making excuses' for CSG industry after footage shows him touching off sheet of flame on the Condamine river

The CSIRO has defended its independence after a Greens MP, whose footage of burning methane on a Queensland river went viral, accused the government-funded research body of "making excuses" for the coal seam gas industry.

Jeremy Buckingham, a member of the New South Wales parliament's upper house, posted the video, which showed him lighting the surface of the Condamine river with a barbecue lighter and sending flames licking around the boat, on his Facebook page on Friday. By Sunday it had been shared 13,000 times and had 2.2m views.