Public submissions closing for Blue Energy’s CSG plan across Bowen Basin

A fracking company’s plan to drill more than 1000 CSG wells and lay 700km of pipelines across Central Queensland must be rejected, according to vocal community groups.

A planned CSG project that would open up swathes of Queensland’s Bowen Basin for exploration is being opposed by community groups, as public submissions enter the final day.

Wednesday is the deadline for public feedback responding to Blue Energy’s plan to drill CSG wells and lay associated pipelines across Central Queensland.

The project depends on not-yet constructed infrastructure which would connect Blue Energy’s tenements near Glenden to existing gas infrastructure on the Western Downs.

A feasibility study, funded in part by the Queensland and Australian Governments, has already cost $5m in public subsidies.

Lock the Gate Alliance Queensland co-ordinator Ellie Smith said the project would open up huge new swathes of Queensland for export-bound gas and called for it to be rejected.

“New gas fields won’t bring down Queenslanders’ power prices but they will tear up more farmland, drain more groundwater and leave Queenslanders paying the price for generations to come,” she said.

“Blue Energy’s modelling shows more than 19 billion litres of water will be extracted during the two-decade life of this proposed gas field.”

Lock the Gate Alliance says while Blue Energy has not said how many CSG wells it wants to drill, that number could exceed 1000.

Blue Energy have been approached for comment.