Landholders taught how to ‘talk turkey’ with CSG companies

Thursday, 18 Aug 2011

Landholders from the Eidsvold district are now well equipped to negotiate with coal seam gas companies courtesy of a free AgForce Projects information session held on 17 August.

Farmers in the area are feeling shocked and confused by the rapid expansion of CSG development in the region, but praised AgForce for providing up-to-date information to help them deal with their individual circumstances.

The session provided landholders with independent information about their rights and obligations under the current legislation and gave tips on how to manage any potential risks to their property and negotiate an effective conduct and compensation agreement (CCA).

While AgForce continues to call on government to restrict CSG operations until the industry's cumulative impacts are known, AgForce Projects project officer Dan Corfe told landholders that tenures across the Surat Basin are expanding and landholders need to be prepared.

"We are here to give landholders an understanding of the legal framework surrounding the CSG industry and practical tools they can use when approached by a CSG company," Mr Corfe said.

The session emphasised the importance of the negotiation process and outlined how effective a CCA can be in mitigating the impact of CSG activities by securing a fairer deal for the property owner.

"You are the landholder, so you have the right to negotiate where CSG companies can go on your land and how they conduct themselves," Mr Corfe said.

"Recent amendments to the Land Access Code provide landholders with greater rights to negotiate a fair deal both in terms of conduct and compensation."
Mr Corfe said landholders have the right to tailor an agreement that best suits their individual property needs and considers all impacts to their business and lifestyle.

"You need to have a think about how the proposed CSG activities will affect the way you run your property today and into the future, and ensure your CCA takes this into consideration."

Despite many attendees reporting they had not been contacted by a resource company to date, they said they were surprised to see how far the industry was expanding and would be taking action to prepare themselves for future negotiations.

While many producers at the session said they hadn't yet been approached by resource companies, landholders Keith and Julie Mossman said the session helped prepare them for that possibility. "We came along to find out about what activity is happening in the area so that we can be prepared if and when a resource company contacts us," Mrs Mossman said.

The session also outlined tools landholders can use to record impacts from CSG activity on their property, and the importance of a property computer map to assist in the negotiation process.

"Property maps that identify infrastructure, business activities, natural resources, sensitive areas and future developments can assist landholders readily identify possible impacts on their operations from CSG development," Mr Corfe said.

Workshops are free and open to all producers through AgForward, an initiative of AgForce within its project division, funded by the Queensland Government.

To attend or to express interest in holding a workshop in a town near you, contact (07) 3238 6048 or visit the events page.