Protesters Blockade Queensland Coal Seam Gas Project

By Joel ScanlonMar 14 2011

Queensland Gas Company workers may have to face a human blockade if they try to build a gas pipeline at Tara. Carrying placards and banners that say – “Don’t gas Tara”, the protestors have said that they are willing to put their bodies on the line to prevent coal seam gas development northwest of Brisbane. They intend to camp overnight to stop company workers from entering their properties. The protestors are made up of farmers, residents of the rural community of Tara and the Greens.

The Queensland Gas Company was hoping to begin laying out 16 km of polythene pipelines to transport gas and water from five existing gas wells near Wieambilla Road. Of this almost half is on the company owned land and the remaining will be laid out on 14 landholders properties. All of whom have agreed to the compensation packages that have been offered by the company to them for disturbances to the properties.

However Drew Hutton the spokesperson for Friends of Earth said that many of the landowners felt that the company had not been open about the plans. Saying that they considered the company’s activities illegal and that it would also be a public nuisance Mr Hutton warned that many of the landowners were worried about the pipelines affecting their health, the environment around their homes and even the effect on land values.