John Mikkelsen analyses the debate around the Bligh government's ambition to expand the LNG sector in Queensland.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh’s move to set up a new “one stop shop” to soothe heated tempers over massive coal seam gas developments has met with a cool reaction from affected landowners.
Ms Bligh has announced an LNG enforcement unit following a strong rural and environmental backlash. This came in the wake of conditional approval for three multi-billion dollar projects to extract gas in the Surat and Bowen Basins, piping it hundreds of kilometres to Curtis Island at Gladstone for liquefaction and export.
But according to national lobby group Property Rights Australia, the proposed 36 -member enforcement unit will be hamstrung by ineffective legislation.
PRA chairman Ron Bahnisch, a Central Queensland grazier, said yesterday the unit would not be able to stop potential damage to the vital Great Artesian Basin, protect fertile food production areas or solve landowners’ concerns over property access agreements. “It showed the Premier is listening, but it also showed she is panicking,” he said.
“She is trying to answer our very real concerns with more spin”.
Ms Bligh and Resources Minister Stephen Robertson might not agree with this, but it seems obvious they are losing ground in terms of public perception and media coverage, despite the combined might of the government’s media war wagon.
Her announcement of the LNG enforcement unit appears to have gained scant coverage, while a neatly dove-tailed campaign by PRA, rural lobby group AgForce and unlikely bedfellows, Friends of the Earth, has kept the issue bubbling along on national TV news, many newspapers and blog sites.
What started as a small “Lock the Gate” peaceful protest against mining and exploration companies, has quickly gained strength with the involvement of seasoned environmental campaigner and Friends of the Earth spokesman, Drew Hutton.
A revitalised AgForce under the stewardship of new chairman Brent Finlay, also called for a moratorium on gas developments until further research was completed, PRA backed that move and at the same time a new documentary feature film, Gaslands, conveniently hit Australian cinema screens.
The film representing a journey across US gas fields by Josh Fox, paints an alarming picture of environmental damage and health concerns. But governments here have been at pains to point out the US film depicts gas extraction from shale oil deposits, not coal seams.
Meanwhile, Mr Bahnisch has hit out at proposals to allow open cut mining and gas extraction for the fertile Jimbour flood plain on the Darling Downs.
“This borders on insanity. It has taken 50 years to help farmers modify their practices and recognise the fragility of these plains that could be permanently damaged in one fell stroke by mining.
“Water originating from creeks flowing out of the Bunyas makes its way overland, losing discrete channels on the almost level flood plains. Any infrastructure misdirecting overland flow is dangerous.
“All-weather roads between established gas wells will modify the landscape irreparably.
“The inter-aquifer transfer of water in the Condamine alluvium is judged as certain,” he said.
However, on a more positive note, he said Santos had been “quite amicably” producing gas from the Cooper Basin for 15 years. There had been little impact on extensive grazing areas, which had led to “happy co-existence”.
Any change of impacts and extraordinary developments were assessed every two years and suitable compensation negotiated.
Announcing her package of measures “to boost landowners’ rights,” Ms Bligh said the new LNG enforcement unit would act as “a one-stop shop to respond to safety, land access and environmental concerns”.
The team would include environmental and groundwater experts, petroleum and gas safety specialists, and staff specialising in land access issues.
“We have put support for the LNG industry front and centre of the government’s economic agenda because it potentially means 18,000 direct and indirect jobs, a $3 billion boost to Queensland’s gross state product and $40 billion worth of private investment,” Ms Bligh said.
“But we need to balance that with protecting landowners’ rights and safeguarding our environment.
“The LNG enforcement unit will have its team based in local communities to respond quickly to any concerns.
“It will be fully operational by early next year.”
She also announced funding of $3.5 million over three years for AgForce’s “Agforward” program to help landowners negotiate agreements with coal seam gas companies, including conduct and compensation agreements.
Mr Bahnish said PRA would establish an independent reference panel to monitor this.
John Mikkelsen is a long-term journalist, former regional newspaper editor (Gladstone Observer) now regular columnist and freelance writer.
