The state government says it "promptly" investigated coal boreholes which were releasing potentially harmful gas and water on Western Downs properties, but a conservation group has called its six-day response time "hopeless".
Starting on July 30 and continuing into August 2020, a number of landowners in the region reported water and gas spilling from a total of seven former coal exploration bores on their properties.
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Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Department documents released under Right to Information laws detail how the bores were releasing "significant volumes of water in an uncontrolled manner and posing a risk to [the landowner's] property".
One landholder told the department the recent borehole and seep activity had only occurred after recent drilling activity by Origin Energy on July 12. The department said Origin had recently drilled two petroleum wells about 2km from the site.
Six days after the first report, the DNRME Georesources divisional support executive director authorised Origin to remediate the boreholes, which were held by Yancoal.
Conservation group Lock the Gate claims the documents show the government didn't act fast enough.
"The July 2020 incident, in which a total of seven legacy coal boreholes were found to be belching salty water and gas onto farmland due to CSG dewatering, laid bare the Palaszczuk Government's inability to swiftly respond to such emergencies," spokesperson Ellie Smith said.
"It's hopeless that it took six days before there was a response, because the government processes are so poor that it needs permission from the coal company that left the bores unrehabilitated many years ago before it can trigger action to address the incident."
Ms Smith said coal companies should be made to clean up their old exploration bores and the progress of the CSG industry should be stopped because its impacts on water and communities were too great.
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A Resources Department spokesperson said agriculture and resources both underpinned Queensland's economy and regional communities, and when historical and current resources activity overlapped, "management can be complex".
"... The several entitles involved attended the site promptly once the seep was reported, assessed the seep as low to medium risk, the site was made secure immediately, and later fully remediated once the responsible resources company was established," the spokesperson said.
The department documents stated the risk of media attention was considered low due to the borehole location being away from public view and the good relationship between the landholder and Origin.
It also noted anti-coal seam gas sentiment existed around Chinchilla, with an active Knitting Nannas Against Gas Group, and several anti-CSG landholders and advocates in the area.
Knitting Nannas member Leanne Brummell, St George, said it was disappointing to hear.
"It really shows the government is more worried about its image than the actual harm that's occurring thanks to coal and gas development in the outback," she said.
"At least it shows the local Knitting Nannas are having an impact."
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Brandon Long
Brandon Long is a Queensland Country Life journalist based in Toowoomba.
Brandon Long is a Queensland Country Life journalist based in Toowoomba.
