The Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett is not the Queensland's mining communities' most favorite person right now.
Billions of dollars worth of Coal Seam Gas projects in Queensland are on hold for three months so that Mr. Garrett can study the impact of these projects on the environment.
The Santos and BG liquefied natural gas or LNG projects in Gladstone and offshore at Curtis Island have come under the scanner for deficiencies which allow for potential damage to the Great Barrier Reef. This is the reason why Mr. Garret has asked for the extra three months to complete his assessment of the projects.
He is concerned about the discharge of brine and effluent into Port Curtis. As also about the full range of utility infrastructure provision options, including cumulative impacts to the World Heritage Area values as a result of associated with multiple LNG facilities on Curtis Island.
The revised Environmental Impact Statements demanded from both projects in the Surat Basin in south Queensland will delay the projects. However the federal government is keen to see that there is no significant damage caused by the projects and intends to wait and proceed with caution. The same process was followed by Mr. Garret for the Gorgon development project last year as per a spokesman.