CSG plans at Springvale, Kupunn rejected by farmers

Arrow, owned by British company Shell and Chinese company PetroChina, has applied to drill 14 gas wells under their farms - designated as priority agricultural areas - as part of its $10 billion Surat Gas Project.

The growers and graziers from the Kupunn and Springvale areas of the Western Downs have submitted their concerns in a 63-page document to the state government, asking for the application be refused.

Shay Dougall, Russell Young, Doug Browne, John Karrasch, Celia Karp, Tabitha Karp, and Russell Bennie represent four of the six properties which are the subject of the application, neighbouring properties and interested persons.

Springvale farmer Celia Karp said CSG was not compatible with prime farmland.

"Shell and PetroChina's coal seam gas expansion threatens our ability to provide food and fibre to Queenslanders," Ms Karp said.

"Coal seam gas companies are targeting the most valuable farming land on the Darling Downs. Thousands of gaswells are planned, with farmers and future generations set to pay a heavy price for the impacts."

The farmers' submission says CSG drilling in the Western Downs region causes sinking land, major erosion, and the draining of water bores.

The farmers also argue Arrow Energy has failed to provide sufficient evidence that the proposed activities will not impact the priority agricultural area and strategic cropping area under risk, including on properties neighbouring the areas to be drilled.

An Arrow Energy spokesperson said the project was good for jobs, businesses and the energy market.

"We think the project we've proposed is a good one that will benefit the region by supporting local employment and businesses while helping ease the pressure on gas supplies," they said.

Arrow asserts that the proposed activities will not involve any access to the surface of the subject land.

Instead, it states the land will be accessed from below the surface, with the operation of the well path infrastructure carried out from neighbouring properties.

"The proposed well pads are planned for neighbouring properties. No surface infrastructure is proposed for the six properties covered by the application," the spokesperson said.

"Operating on someone's property is a responsibility we take seriously, and our preference is always to reach agreements with landholders.

"We accept that some people hold strong views on gas development. But we'll continue to engage with people on the project. Keeping lines of communication open is critical to addressing concerns they have and finding ways to co-exist."

The deadline for the government to make a decision is March 24, however this can be extended.

Arrow Energy was fined $1 million last year for illegally drilling directional gaswells beneath farmland without access agreements with the landholders.

The news comes as the government approves an Arrow application to drill 55 coal seam gas wells near the Linc Energy site at Hopeland near Chinchilla, which was found to be contaminated by benzene, naphthalene and cyanide.

In November 2022, Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon denied there had been a cover-up of information which showed elevated levels of the cancer-causing chemicals in groundwater outside the Linc Energy disaster zone.

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