QFF calls for a halt on CCS exploration permits

Currently, a coalition of regional communities and organisations has formed to oppose multi-national mining company, Glencore's proposal to inject liquified CO2 waste from the Millmerran power station into the GAB at a site near Moonie.

QFF CEO Jo Sheppard said the lobby group had written to the department of resources asking them to cease issuing exploratory licences for CCS in the Great Artesian Basin until the current matter is resolved.

"The community and industry have come together and made it very clear they are not going to stop fighting until the Great Artesian Basin is safe from CCS proposals so if the department of resources continues to issue exploratory licences it really is giving companies hope that they may be able to put these projects forward," she said.

A department of resources spokesperson said the only current exploration permit for carbon capture and storage had been granted to Glencore's CTSCo.

The spokesperson said another two applications for exploration were being assessed by several government agencies.

"All exploration activities associated with carbon capture and storage are subject to rigorous environmental assessment processes," the spokesperson said.

"The Queensland government will continue to support projects that stack up financially, environmentally and socially."

A landholder, who declined to be named, expressed concern about "a test hole" by Glencore on a property near Hannaford on the western downs.

In response to questions put to Glencore from QCL, a Glencore spokesperson said Glencore's subsidiary, CTSCo, had no drilling operations underway or planned for 2024.

The Glencore spokesperson said CTSCo drilled four appraisal wells in 2023 within the EPQ10 exploration licence area to assess geology and groundwater in accordance with our exploration tenement commitments.

"These wells were designed for geological data collection and water quality sampling not for CO2 storage," the spokesperson said.

"The four wells drilled will be offered to the respective landowners for conversion to water bores, subject to regulatory approval, once data collection is complete."

Ms Sheppard said Glencore needed to improve in terms of its community consultation and make sure the community was well informed if they were conducting any exploratory works.

"Obviously, the whole community is extremely concerned about this issue (in relation to CCS and the GAB)," she said.

"It's incredibly unfair on a community that's already incredibly stressed about the risk that these potential projects are posing on the Great Artesian Basin...and the ongoing lack of community consultation is not acceptable."

One landholder and major pork producer in the Moonie area, Ken Cameron of Cameron Pastoral Company said the proposal by CTSCo threatened his whole operation and could "severely curtail" future growth.

He said the proposed injection well by CTSCo was 9.5 km from where his company had a license to drill for precipice water.

Mr Cameron said Glencore neglected to approach his company during the consultation phase when CTSCo's EIS was out for comment and consultation.

"We actually approached them when we learnt about the project, that was the first contact we had with them despite us clearly having licences and activity local to their proposed injection point," he said.

Recently, AgForce announced it was going to mount a federal court case challenging a federal decision of February 9, 2022, made under the EPBC (Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation) Act.

In its claim, AgForce says the decision "was flawed" because the National Environmental Significance provisions of the Act were "not adequately considered" in the instance of Glencore and the GAB.