The Queensland Government has quietly paved the way for fracking in the environmentally sensitive Channel Country, despite repeated promises to protect the area and an unfulfilled commitment to consult with traditional owners.
Key points:
- The Queensland Government has quietly granted leases to Origin Energy to develop oil and gas over the Channel Country
- The move comes after an election promise to protect the region and consult with traditional owners, some of whom say they feel 'dudded'
- Controversial gas 'fracking' could now happen for the first time in the sensitive inland waterway
In October, 11 applications for petroleum leases across more than 250,000 hectares of land in the Channel Country bioregion of the Lake Eyre Basin were granted to gas company Origin Energy.
The Queensland Department of Resources said it received consent from the registered native title claim group, however, there is currently no native title claim over the land concerned.
An alliance group of traditional owner groups, which the government promised to consult, was also not consulted prior to the leases being approved.
The leases give Origin Energy the right to explore for and produce petroleum, and test for petroleum production. Though, the company still needs an Environmental Authority before commencing any resource development.
The granting of the petroleum leases means unconventional gas production could occur in the Channel Country for the first time which, in the shale geology of the Lake Eyre Basin, will likely require fracking.
The Lake Eyre Basin is one of the last remaining free-flowing river systems in the world, where spectacular webs of waterways spread over 120 million hectares, across four states and territories.
The floodplains in the Channel Country support a thriving organic beef industry and carry enormous environmental importance as a wildlife habitat.
"It's of international significance," grazier Angus Emmott said, who lives on a property south-west of Longreach, at the top end of the Channel Country floodplains.
"We've got the Cooper [Creek], the Georgina and the Diamantina rivers, which are the last major desert rivers on the face of the planet that are not seriously compromised by human actions."
'There hasn't been any consultation'
Since the end of 2019, Labor has repeatedly committed to establishing a stakeholder advisory group and consulting traditional owners on achieving a balance between the region's economic prosperity and ecological sustainability.
The government helped establish the Lake Eyre Basin Traditional Owners Alliance, made up of more than a dozen local traditional owner groups, which former Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch promised to consult.
"We are going to work in partnership with First Nations peoples and support their establishment of the Lake Eyre Basin Traditional Owner Alliance, which will have an active role in the decision-making and management of that area," Ms Enoch said in a media release in December 2019.
Mithaka man George Gorringe is a traditional landowner in the area and is a founding member of the Alliance.
At the group's first meeting, which happened on Tuesday, December 14, Mr Gorringe said there was no mention of the petroleum leases being granted.
He only found out later that day.
"I got a phone call to say that this is what happened, and that is the first I'd heard about it," Mr Gorringe said.
"It was very disappointing to hear this, and also that there hasn't been any consultation."
The department said, "the registered native title claim group was notified and consented to the grant of the petroleum leases prior to the approval of the petroleum leases."
Origin Energy also said it had "been in contact with native title groups about meeting for some time and have participated in an introductory meeting with one group in recent weeks."
The National Native Title Tribunal shows there is currently no registered native title claim over the 11 Origin Energy petroleum leases.
The area concerned falls between a Native Title claim by the Mithaka people to the west, and one by the Boonthamurra people to the east.
Mr Gorringe said neither the Mithaka people nor the Alliance was consulted prior to the petroleum leases being granted, which represents the Mithaka and Boonthamurra people among others.
"My feeling is, and it's pretty raw at the moment, that we've been sort of dudded," he said.
"Is it worthwhile to have this [stakeholder advisory] committee?
"I just wonder why that's even there?"
Grazier Angus Emmott, said holding meetings after the fact showed that the government was not genuine in its past commitment to protect the Channel Country and consult the community.
"We now have a government that is setting up this new sham consultation process to try and rubber stamp an outcome that they've pre-determined with the fossil fuel industry," Mr Emmott said.
"It's just pure political opportunism led by money, power and greed.
"I think it stinks."
Fracking in Channel Country 'unacceptable'
In September 2019 the Department of Environment and Science commissioned an independent scientific report into the potential impacts of oil and gas development, and other activities such as agriculture and tourism, on Queensland's Channel Country.
It found oil and gas development could "create barriers" on natural watercourses and drawdown water in the Great Artesian Basin.
The scientists also said drilling and fracturing fluids could potentially pollute soil and water.
The report recommended that "unconventional petroleum and gas production be an unacceptable use" in the area and that "gas wells and ponds" be excluded from frequently flooded areas.
Ellie Smith from environmental group Lock The Gate said the government's decision to grant the petroleum leases went against both scientific advice and election promises.
"What we've had over many election cycles is commitments from Labor governments to have some kind of adequate protection for the Lake Eyre Basin rivers and watercourses and balance that with the economic development in the region," Ms Smith said.
"We thought that the government would at least wait until the consultation had taken place before progressing any of those leases.
"I think the trust of the group is broken."
Government still committed
In a statement to the ABC, the Department of Environment and Science said, "We are committed to protecting the rivers, watercourses and floodplains of the river systems in the Queensland section of the Lake Eyre Basin."
A spokesperson for the Department of Resources added that "any resources project must stack up environmentally, socially and financially and are assessed against strict criteria."