Below are a series of keynote speaker presentations taken from the GasFields Commission’s 2021 ‘Community Leaders Council’. In this first video the Minister for Resources, the Honourable Scott Stewart MP speaks to how maintaining the onshore gas industry’s social licence and achieving sustainable coexistence with rural landholders and communities is essential for the industry’s growth and prosperity of regional communities.

This is the second keynote presentation captured at the GasFields Commission’s ‘2021 Community Leaders Council’. In this video the Commission’s A/CEO, Warwick Squire presents a ‘State of the Sector Overview’ that delves into themes including Cultivating Coexistence, the Role of the GasFields Commission, State of the Sector Policy Drivers and the ever-evolving relationship between the onshore gas and agriculture sectors in Queensland.

This is the third keynote presentation captured at the GasFields Commission’s ‘2021 Community Leaders Council’. In this video Professor Andrew Garnett, from the University of Queensland Centre for Natural Gas – An Independent Voice for Queensland Science and the Energy Transition – delves into some very thought provoking ‘Perspectives on Coexistence’.

This is the fourth keynote presentation captured at the GasFields Commission’s ‘2021 Community Leaders Council’. In this video Surat Basin landholder Ian Hayllor delivers his presentation titled ‘From Coexistence to Business Partnership – 2010 to 2021’. Ian openly discusses his journey as a Dalby farmer who has been dealing with gas development activities on and around his property for more than a decade.

This video encapsulates the panel discussion undertaken at the GasFields Commission’s ‘2021 Community Leaders Council’. In this video the panel members (Mike Kaiser – A/Director-General, Department of Resources; Dr Georgina Davis – CEO, Queensland Farmers’ Federation; Andrew McConville – CEO, Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association; and Mayor Paul McVeigh – Western Downs Regional Council) delve into a wide range of topics associated with the 2021 Community Leaders Council’s theme of “Cultivating Coexistence – learning from experiences, facing challenges and harnessing future opportunities”.

This is the final video in our series of keynote speaker presentations that were captured at the GasFields Commission’s ‘2021 Community Leaders Council’. In this video Arrow Energy CEO, Cecile Wake delivers a presentation on the topic of ‘Co-Existence – Lessons from the Bowen and Surat’.

‘LGAQ Update’ Webinar – November 2021

GasFields Commission Queensland (GFCQ) has delivered a webinar to the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) regarding two concurrent work programs – the GFCQ Shared Landscapes Report and GFCQ’s Engagement Team 2022 Engagement Plan. The session provided attendees with a valuable insight into the role and function of GFCQ, together with the work programs GFCQ are currently delivering/developing.

‘Navigating Land Access’ Webinar – September 2020

GasFields Commission Queensland has commenced a series of public webinars in collaboration with the Department of Resources, Department of Environment and Science, Land Access Ombudsman and the Land Court of Queensland. The first of the series – Navigating Land Access – brought together subject matter experts from the Queensland State Government and associated organisations to present and discuss the very latest relevant information on laws, best practice, processes, environmental management and what support is available to landholders dealing with land access issues.

‘Helping Farmers Prepare for Gas Field Developments’ Webinar – July 2020

GasFields Commission’s Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Jane Walker presented as part of the “Afternoon Session with AgForce CQ” webinar. Jane joined Noel Brinsmead (AgForce Queensland mapping guru with 40 years’ experience as a cartographer and GIS analyst) to educate farmers on how to accurately map their properties. The session primarily focused on the developing gas fields throughout Queensland, and how the GasFields Commission and AgForce Queensland are collaborating to help farmers prepare for these developments.

See what some of Queensland’s rural landholders think about the onshore gas industry operating in their local areas. They offer insights into what has worked, what hasn’t worked, and what resource companies could do better to improve engagement activities and communication with rural landholders.

See what some of Queensland’s regional small businesses think about the onshore gas industry operating in their local areas. They offer insights into what has worked, what hasn’t worked, and what resource companies could do better to improve engagement activities and communication with regional small businesses.

Gas Guide 2.0 is out now! – January 2021

It’s been a busy start to 2021 for farmers in and around Dalby, with parts of that region receiving some much needed rainfall whilst final preparations are made for the harvesting of their summer crops. GasFields Commission Queensland have also been busy promoting the release of Gas Guide 2.0! Packed with helpful resources and designed to give landholders the information they need to negotiate a fair and reasonable outcome should a resource company request to operate on their land – Gas Guide 2.0 is the most comprehensive guide to gas development available to landholders in Queensland.

Surat Stakeholder Advisory Group (SSAG) Established – July 2020

The GasFields Commission team, consisting of Board Members, members of the Management Team and Engagement Officers, have travelled to the Surat Basin and met with landholders, peak agriculture bodies and government representatives to convene the inaugural meeting of the Surat Stakeholder Advisory Group (SSAG). The GasFields Commission has established this advisory group to connect face-to-face with all relevant stakeholders to highlight, discuss and work through any issues with gas exploration and production being faced in the region.

Time-lapse Drilling of a Gas Well – December 2018

Gas production technology is improving all the time. A gas well once took a week or more to drill but that can now be done in a matter of days. There are many factors taken into account when drilling a gas well, so time frames vary, but this time-lapse video (courtesy of Santos) shows a well north of the Gas Supply Hub at Wallumbilla being completed in under 3 days. In general, the development of a gas field is now a much more rapid and less intrusive process than it has ever been.

We’re Here to Help – September 2018

Based in Dalby, former GasFields Commission Stakeholder Engagement Manager Jane Walker lives on the land and has many years experience working with gas companies. Jane knew and understood the challenges faced by both landholders and gas companies and was only too happy to help her local community members. Jane stands as a prime example of the Commission ensuring their Engagement Team are properly embedded in regional communities where coal seam gas development and production activities are occurring.

The Surat Cumulative Management Area (Surat CMA) takes in the Surat and southern Bowen geological basins. Gas is produced from the Walloon Coal Measures of the Surat Basin and from the Bandanna Formation and Cattle Creek Formation of the southern Bowen Basin. There are also existing and proposed coal mines in the Surat Basin extracting coal from the Walloon Coal Measures.

These coal-bearing formations consist of many thin coal seams separated by low-permeability rock. The coal seams collectively make up a small proportion of the total thickness of the coal-bearing formations.

The Walloon Coal Measures is a geological layer of the Great Artesian Basin. It comprises layers of lower-permeability rocks alternating with aquifers of high economic importance, which also feed springs of ecological and cultural importance.

The video below provides an introductory overview of the Surat CMA (download video transcript).

The video below shows the basins and geological formations, the complexity of the geological layers, effects of these layers, and movement of groundwater (download the video transcript).

The video below explains how groundwater impacts may occur in aquifers surrounding the coal seam gas (CSG) formations in the Surat Basin (download the video transcript).

• For more information visit the Office of Groundwater Impact Assessment website.