Coal Seam Gas: Overview : SBS Insight

Overview

The gas rush is on in Queensland and NSW could be next.

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As more exploration and drilling licenses are granted, coal seam gas mining is generating jobs, headlines, protests, town hall meetings and advertising campaigns.

Insight focuses on the Queensland region of Chinchilla-Dalby, where the CSG industry has operated for many years, to look at the impacts – environmental, social and financial.

Real estate agents, hotels, butchers, hairdressers and residents have different views on whether the boom is good for their town. Farmers are also divided - some are worried that the mining process will contaminate their land and use too much precious water, while others report no problems and say they’re doing well out of the gas rush.

Meanwhile, industry representatives say coal seam gas mining is safe. But some farmers and residents want more evidence, and are pushing for greater regulation and monitoring.

Here are some of our guests ….

Meet the Guests

Ruth Armstrong

Ruth Armstrong is a Cecil Plains cotton and grain farmer concerned about planned coal seam gas mining on her family’s farm. Ruth says the salty water produced by the mining poses too much of a risk to highly fertile land like hers

Carl McCamish

Carl McCamish is Executive General Manager of Policy and Sustainability at Origin Energy. Carl says Origin’s 15 years’ experience with coal seam gas in Queensland gives it confidence that its processes pose no significant risk to water supply or water quality. Carl says Origin has pumped a lot of money into the towns, helping to keep businesses alive.

Gavin Mudd

Gavin Mudd is a senior lecturer with the Department of Civil Engineering at Monash University. Gavin has done comparison studies between coal seam gas mining in Australia and Wyoming in the United States. He wants long term monitoring of ground water in order to be able to assess the impact of coal seam gas mining on aquifers.

Ray Brown

Ray Brown is the mayor of the Western Downs Regional Council. He says although coal seam gas mining has brought its challenges, he says “it’s also brought our future” in terms of jobs. Ray believes some fertile agricultural land should be protected, even though there are not many mines on food-producing land.

Gordon Allen

Gordon Allen is a cattle farmer in the Cecil Plains. He says he’s satisfied with the coal seam gas mines on his property, and says he and his land have been treated well.