The New South Wales upper house inquiry into coal seam gas is set to issue a report today recommending the NSW government should cease issuing production licences for coal seam gas production until a ''comprehensive framework'' for regulating the industry is developed.
It also will recommend a moratorium on fracking, a controversial method of extracting methane from coal seams, until the national regulator has finished testing the chemicals in the fracking fluids.
Lock the Gate Alliance president, Drew Hutton, called on Queensland premier, Campbell Newman, to call a halt on the "mad gas rush" his government is promoting and to adopt a more cautious approach in line with the recommendations of this powerful NSW committee.
"The upper house inquiry has put forward many sensible recommendations that Campbell Newman would do well to emulate," Mr Hutton said.
"He should take up the challenge presented to him by many Queenslanders who voted LNP at the last election, to proceed with great caution with regard to the coal seam gas industry.
"There have already been far too many incidents with coal seam gas with the 4,000 wells that are currently in the Surat Basin.
"When we have somewhere between 40,000 and 80,000 wells, with many of these being fracked and regulatory agencies stretched beyond their limits, the people of Queensland will be asking why Mr Newman's government did not ensure the safety of our farm lands, our underground water, our important environmental assets and people's health and amenity," Mr Hutton said.
"New South Wales residents look with horror at what is happening with coal seam gas in Queensland and refer to it as 'the Queensland disease'."