Surat and Bowen Basin Stakeholders discussion paper

The GasFields Commission Queensland is inviting landholders, community members and other stakeholders from across the Surat and Bowen Basins to help shape the format of ongoing stakeholder engagement relating to gas development across these regions.

To effectively facilitate coexistence, the Commission needs to understand issues of relevance to stakeholders and to have a means to identify these through active stakeholder engagement.

The proposed Surat-Bowen Basin Stakeholder Reference Group will be tasked with driving the conversation on the observations, opportunities and challenges – and the Commission is inviting stakeholders to have their say on the Surat and Bowen Basin Stakeholders discussion paper.

With the sustainability of the onshore gas industry being reliant on the very communities that host it, establishing the right channels of engagement will provide a foundation for the industry’s future.

The final engagement model will provide significant input into the GasFields Commission’s work to enable and support coexistence across the regions.

The Engagement with Surat and Bowen Basin Stakeholders discussion paper outlines a proposed regional engagement structure including advisory bodies, their purpose, geographic remit and function of this new forum.

The Commission is looking for representation from all levels of community as well as key industry groups, councils and businesses which have involvement with Queensland’s onshore gas industry.

The Surat and Bowen Basin Stakeholders discussion paper can be found here, and is available for feedback until 4 November.

The first meetings for the Surat and Bowen Basin Stakeholder groups paper are expected to be held in early 2023 in local Surat and Bowen Basin locations.