Coal seam gas and agricultural land: Defying the precautionary principle

Primer
Dr Peter Dart and Col Lynam, members of The Royal Society of Queensland, have compiled this primer on the coal seam gas industry. Are you aware that Queensland coal seam gas is a risk to food security? The paper includes a useful table of recent reports and media columns with hotlinks. The paper has been written exclusively for the Queensland Science Network.

Glendon Event 26 August 2023
Some 179 farmers attended a field day on 26 August 2023. A declaration – the “Glendon Declaration” – was unanimously endorsed by the gathering. The program flyer identifies the main issues and a list of numerous expert contributors.

Read the opening address Protecting Prime Agricultural Land Liza Balmain, ‘Glendon,’ Nangwee, Queensland. 4407. Saturday 26th August, 2023.

Read the Executive Summary of the Glendon event, a lucidly worded explanation of the failure of the Queensland Government to fulfill its obligation to secure the public interest while administering mining and gas tenures.

EOS Data Analytics has picked up this story and given support. See its blogpost or a screenshot captured on 27 Nov. 2023.

Also see the dedicated page on State policy re good quality agricultural land.

Queensland Farmers’ Federation issued a press release on 24 May 2024 about the proposal to inject CO² into the Great Artesian Basin.

Irreversible subsidence

Zena Ronnfeldt of Boss Agricultural Pty Ltd, Dalby, Queensland, has supplied a photo of damage to their property:

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“Arrow Energy’s mining of methane gas for export has caused this damage to our paddock. The sunken areas caused by the mining hold water, stopping us from growing food.” Not only is the gas contributing to heating the planet, it’s also reducing food production.

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