Lock the Gate has serious concerns with the impact of thousands of new coal seam gas wells proposed across productive agricultural lands and waterways of the Surat Basin in QLD.
Arrow's tenements extend from Wandoan in the north, Dalby in the east, to Goondiwindi in the south. A gas supply agreement has now been struck with Shell’s gas export terminal for the gas to be brought to market.
"This massive expansion will cover thousands of square kilometres of QLD with coal seam gas wells and gasfield infrastructure," said Naomi Hogan of the Lock the Gate Alliance.
"The dewatering of the coal seams for Arrow's gasfields will lead to over a million tonnes of toxic salts being brought to the surface, with no plan for the waste.
“Scientists looking at this proposal have raised serious concerns that the impacts of groundwater and the risks of well integrity failure have been underestimated by the company.
Arrow's gasfields would intercept some of QLD's best grazing and cropping land.
"This gas deal demonstrates the failure of the QLD Government to stand up and protect strategic cropping land and protect our most productive farming regions.
"It’s inappropriate to force gasfields onto hardworking Australian farmers, while Shell vacuums gas offshore.
"Farmers targeted on the Cecil Plains are clear that Arrow does not have a social licence to operate there.
"The gasfield areas are proposed across valuable cropping for cotton and grains, threatening the productivity of this rich agricultural region.
"Australians are concerned about damage to our prime agricultural areas and strategic cropping lands by polluting onshore gasfields.
"There has been and will continue to be a lot of landholder concern around this, you can guarantee it," she said.