A SMALL protest is underway south east of Miles over coal gas seam company QGC's planned pipeline crossing of Columboola Creek.
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The Cameby Concerned Citizens Group say it has been calling for more than six months on both QGC and the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection to provide details of how the crossing will be engineered.
A statement issued by QGC in response to the initial Queensland Country Life story from the protest site says the Environmental Authority (EA) for construction of the QCLNG pipeline included provision for use of horizontal directional drilling and open trenching for creek crossings as deemed appropriate.
However, according to the landholder group's chair Dave McCabe it has been confirmed that the department has approved changes to the QGC EA that will now allow QGC to dig a trench through the Columboola Creek bed rather than drilling underneath the watercourse as had been originally stated.
The group says it is upset that the changes have been approved and that there was no consultation with landholders prior to the change in the EA.
The group says trenching more than 300m of creek banks and the bed of the creek and the use of heavy machinery will result in erosion.
"We want to know why the goverment has now allowed QGC to trench through the creek rather than horiziontally drilling under the creek as was agreed," Mr McCabe said.
"The crossing site is currently covered about 1m of water and we are very worried that a trench will result in erosion and impact the water quality for downstream landholders who rely on this creek as their domestic and livestock water supply."
The QGC statement reads: "During the early stages of planning for this crossing QGC had considered drilling until further detailed study of the crossing determined that open trenching was the most suitable method.
"QGC is confident that trenching represents the most environmentally acceptable method for crossing this part of the creek, a water course that generally flows only in the wet season and which is currently not flowing.
"Both state and federal regulators have approved this method of construction.
"Site surveys by specialist environmental consultants have recorded no nationally protected plants or animals and a specialist independent expert has certified erosion and sediment control plans.
"QGC will use best-practice waterway crossing techniques as defined by the Australian Pipeline Industry Association’s Code of Environmental Practice and comply with the Environmental Authority.
"The landholder on whose property QGC is working has agreed to the pipeline activities," the statement concludes.
The crossing site is about 15km south east of Miles.
