2015-11-16
QGC's announcement today of an extra 300 to 400 coal seam gas wells near Wandoan puts Queensland's land, water, Great Barrier Reef and climate at risk.
"The Palaszczuk Government's enthusiastic support for hundreds more CSG wells in Queensland is short-sighted and reckless," Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens mining spokesperson, said.
"Wandoan is some of Queensland's best grain growing country and CSG wells here will just put more strain on Queensland's farmers.
"These farms were awarded to soldier-settlers after the war, and now, after farming the land for decades, it's a tragedy that these families have no right to say no to their land being fracked.
"We have viable job-rich renewable alternatives that don't put our land, water, Great Barrier Reef or climate at risk, like CSG does.
"The Palaszczuk Government's media release totally avoids the phrase "CSG", referring instead to "LNG", which is a product of CSG.
"Clearly the government is refusing to say "CSG" because it knows the community is now well aware of the damage CSG has already inflicted on farming communities, including on people's health and wellbeing.
"It's time the Palaszczuk Government started putting landholders, our land, water, Great Barrier Reef and climate ahead of big mining companies by transitioning to the job-rich clean energy future," Senator Waters said.