Farmers Open Community Outreach Center to Combat Coal-Seam Gas Expansion

Save Our Darling Downs Advocates for Agricultural Preservation Against Arrow Energy’s Gas Project

Farmers in Dalby have taken a significant step in their ongoing battle against the expansion of the coal-seam gas industry by opening a volunteer-run community outreach center. This center, located three doors down from Arrow Energy’s office, aims to support and inform the community about the threats posed by the Surat Gas Project.

Community Response to Gas Expansion

The Save Our Darling Downs (SODD) group, which has been actively opposing Arrow Energy’s plans, spearheaded the opening of this resource hub. Arrow Energy, a joint venture between Royal Dutch Shell and PetroChina, is considering the next stage of its Surat Gas Project, which involves drilling hundreds of new coal seam gas wells in the Cecil Plains and Nangwee districts.

“This community outreach center will be a resource hub where people can access support for dealing with the threat of coal-seam gas,” said Nangwee farmer Liza Balmain. “It will also provide information about the importance of the agricultural sector in this area.”

Agricultural Significance

The Darling Downs region is renowned for its agricultural productivity, growing crops like cotton, sorghum, chickpeas, wheat, and other grains and legumes that feed and clothe both Queensland and the world. This productivity is sustained by the Condamine Alluvium, a vital groundwater resource now threatened by the coal seam gas industry.

“We grow cotton, sorghum, chickpeas, wheat, and other grains and legumes that feed and clothe Queensland and the world, all underpinned by the precious Condamine Alluvium, which is right now threatened by the gas industry’s voracious appetite for groundwater,” Balmain added.

Environmental Concerns

The extraction of gas and water from coal seams has led to concerns about subsidence, where fertile cropping land sinks due to the removal of underlying resources. This environmental impact poses a direct threat to the agricultural integrity of the Darling Downs.

“Coal seam gas-induced subsidence, caused by the extraction of vast quantities of gas and water from beneath the earth, is also causing fertile cropping country on the Darling Downs to sink,” Balmain explained. “Coal seam gas and farming are totally incompatible in this part of the world.”

Protecting the Region’s Future

Save Our Darling Downs spokesperson and Cecil Plains farmer Melinda Commens highlighted the urgency of their mission: “What’s happening on the Darling Downs is a real nightmare for a lot of people, and we’re desperately trying to stop this industry before it expands any further on to the Condamine floodplains.”

The Condamine Alluvium is a crucial water resource, essential for sustaining both agriculture and regional towns. The community’s efforts are focused on preserving this invaluable resource from the potentially destructive effects of coal seam gas extraction.

Grassroots Movement

In March, farming families across the Darling Downs united to declare their properties gasfield free, covering over 30,000 hectares. These declarations aim to deter gas companies from encroaching on their lands. Arrow Energy’s petroleum titles encompass these properties, but the community’s stance remains firm.

SODD’s gasfield free declarations have been employed throughout Australia as a grassroots strategy to protect communities from the encroachment of gas companies.

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