TRC calls on State Government to consider submissions from landholders

The Toowoomba Regional Council has resolved to write a submission to the Queensland State Government asking for ongoing and meaningful engagement with landholders regarding Coal Seam Gas extraction across the region.

The Queensland State Government Department of Resources has a paper open for consultation December 8 with council voting unanimously at Tuesday's Ordinary Meeting to make a submission.

Toowoomba Region Mayor Geoff McDonald said council had adopted its position after having engaged with local landholders.

"At Council's recent Cecil Plains community barbecue and engagement event, those Councillors present received a briefing from a group of concerned landholders about the development of CSG projects in the area, particularly over priority agricultural land," he said.

"This group were invited to present as a deputation to Council, and this occurred at the Ordinary Meeting.

"The motions passed at yesterday's Ordinary Meeting are a direct response to the information presented at the deputation, and aligns with 'Council's Corporate Plan 2024-2029', specifically 'Goal 2 - Place', 'We value our environments, our natural assets, and our rich agricultural land.'," Mayor McDonald said.

Mayor McDonald said council encourages the State Government to properly take into consideration submissions from landholders.

"This includes landholder views of the impacts of CSG-subsidence to their livelihoods, the sustainability of farming practices on their lands, and their perception of suitable and appropriate remedies and regulatory mechanisms."

Cecil Plains farmer Liza Balmain has welcomed the council's support.

"We are delighted that the Toowoomba Regional Council has taken this valiant, strong and proactive stand to protect our region's invaluable natural assets including our pivotal prime agriculture, our environment, and our groundwater resources, relied upon by so many regional residents," she said.

"It is so encouraging to see a council listening to its local communities and advocating for the precautionary principle to protect the future food, water, and climate security of our region.

"Toowoomba council has shown itself to be an outstanding, visionary, and progressive council which we applaud whole-heartedly."

Lock the Gate Alliance Queensland Coordinator Ellie Smith said the vote from Toowoomba councillors shows they understand where the long term economic and social base of the region lies: with farmers and not a multinational petroleum company that will wreak havoc and then leave. Councillors should be commended for taking this step.

"Much of the farmland in the Toowoomba Regional Council area is 'prime agricultural land and strategic cropping land', so Arrow Energy still needs approvals from the Queensland Government to drill here," Ms Smith said. .

"We hope the Queensland Government recognises the Toowoomba Regional Council's opposition to new gas approvals and refuses any application to drill on the state's best farmland.

"While councils have little direct say when it comes to coal seam gas drilling, opposition by councils has been extremely powerful in other parts of Queensland where planned gas and mining projects have not gone ahead such as the Scenic Rim and the Bundaberg region.

"At a time when local farmers and the local council are calling for a moratorium on new approvals in part because of this huge threat to slope-dependent farmland, it would be negligent for the government to ignore subsidence in the assessment of impacts on prime agricultural land."

Toowoomba Regional Council has until December 8, to finalise its submission.