CSG mining: State government yet to commit to changes to protect vital aquifer

It’s been six months of waiting for a fired-up group of Darling Downs farmers, who are rallying to ensure the state government steps up to protect one of our most vital resources.

Farmers call for the state government to follow through on its commitment to protect water from CSG mining in the Darling Downs.

Darling Downs farmers are still waiting for the state government to make good on its commitment to protect groundwater from coal seam gas wells.

Environmental activist group Lock the Gate led a protest with farmers this week, asking the state government ensure the Condamine Alluvium – a vital underground aquifer that stretches across Queensland farmland – is unharmed by CSG mining.

Condamine MP Pat Weir, during the October state election, committed to changes to the planning act that meant gas companies would need to prove “beyond any reasonable doubt” there would be no impacts to the Condamine Alluvium.

Any legislative changes are yet to be made.

In a statement through Lock the Gate, Cecil Plains farmer Liza Balmain said the government’s promise remained “unfulfilled”.

“The LNP promised farmers it would strengthen protections of the critically important Condamine Alluvium and the surrounding priority farmland from new coal seam gas drilling in the lead-up to the State Election, but six months on, that promise remains unfulfilled,” Ms Balmain said.

“The Crisafulli Government must make good on this election promise before further damage is done.”

The alluvium sits above the Walloon Coal Measures, which have been the target of gas production for about two decades.

Farmers are alleging the land surrounding their properties, which hosts CSG wells, is being damaged as a result of the practice.

They specifically claim CSG activity is causing subsidence, which occurs when groundwater is extracted from the ground in order to produce gas, and causes the land to sink.

The fight to stop these gas wells has stretched over a decade, spearheaded by community group Save Our Darling Downs.

The farmer-led organisation opened a shopfront just metres away from Arrow Energy offices in the middle of 2024.

In January the group had a major win when Arrow Energy confirmed it would withdraw plans to drill 14 gaswells on four properties in Springvale – years after they first challenged their approval.

In a statement, Arrow Energy general manager community Kellie Schneider said the company worked with in partnership with "hundreds of farmers across the Western Downs", who produced crops alongside gas operations.

"Our industry is subject to hundreds of regulatory conditions imposed by federal,state and local governments, and we take our legal responsibilities to protect agricultural land seriously," she said.

"Arrow’s activities in the region comply with all relevant legislation, which provides clear protection and recourse for landholders if their operations are affected.

"To further safeguard the farming regions where we work, we invest millions of dollars in monitoring, research and other protective measures."