CSG Project continues into 2015 with strong landholder support

Monday, 22 Dec 2014

AGFORCE Projects Coal Seam Gas (CSG) Project continues to engage with landholders across the state, delivering workshops, field days, information sessions and one-on-one assistance to nearly 500 landholders in the past six months.

Landholders in the Surat, Bowen and Galilee Basins have been receiving support from the CSG Project since its inception in 2011. The team have now assisted over 3800 landholders including crucial one-on-one support for producers in the regions.

CSG Project Officer Daniel Phipps said the Project continued to go from strength to strength, proving that landholders were still in need of information and support concerning CSG and mining.

"We conducted a survey of landholders earlier this year in which 95% believed there would be further CSG development on their property, or were unsure of the company's future plans," Mr Phipps said.

"CSG is an important issue for landholders and will continue to be into the future. We want to make sure landholders are aware of their rights in order to protect their properties and businesses."

Mr Phipps said the team have been piloting Advanced CSG Negotiation Support Workshops in the Surat Basin region which have proved both valuable for and popular with landholders.

"We have seen a great deal of support for smaller more tailored workshops to allow our team, along with the CSG Compliance Unit, to get down to the brass tacks of the producers issues."

"Dealing with a CSG company can be very daunting, but this new series of advanced workshops is about landholders sharing experiences, successes and pitfalls with each other, as well as being provided with information specific to those that have negotiated, are negotiating or are renegotiating an agreement by project staff," Mr Phipps said.

The AgForce Projects CSG Team will return in 2015 to deliver Advanced CSG Negotiation Support sessions with the first sessions being held in:

• Injune – 3 February
• Taroom – 4 February
• Miles – 5 February

The team will continue to hold CSG Information Sessions for those landholders that are not at the advanced negotiation stages and are interested in general information about coal seam gas. Producers that are interested in attending any AgForce Projects events should visit www.agforceprojects.org.au.

These workshops are delivered with the support of the Queensland Government, the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association, Queensland Resources Council and the GasFields Commission Queensland.