General News
6 April, 2026
Farmers decry “Wolf in sheep’s clothing” groundwater reforms
Proposed legislative reforms to the protection of Condamine Alluvium groundwater system have disappointed local farmers, who say they will do nothing to stop further subsidence and gas leakage issues associated with coal seam gas (CSG) extraction.
Late on Wednesday evening, 25th March 2026, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie MP presented the Regional Planning Interests (Condamine Alluvium) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 to the Queensland Parliament.
The Deputy Premier said the legislative reforms require gas companies to demonstrate beyond any reasonable doubt that new coal seam gas projects would not have a detrimental impact on the Condamine Alluvium.
“The Condamine Alluvium is one of Queensland’s most important groundwater systems, and protecting it is non‑negotiable,” Mr Bleijie said.
“Labor repeatedly ignored local community and landholder concerns over the Condamine Alluvium and took no action taken to ensure protection of the water aquifer.
“In keeping with our commitment to local communities and landholders, the Crisafulli Government has not approved any new regional interest development applications for gas companies in the Surat Basin.
“We have reviewed the regulatory framework and this bill will ensure any new applications received by gas companies will demonstrate beyond reasonable doubt that the proposed project will not have a detrimental impact on the Condamine Alluvium.”
But opponents says the bill removes a vital obligation for coal seam gas companies to acquire a Regional Interests Development Approval (RIDA) under the Regional Planning Interests Act (RPI Act) before starting any new work in the district.
Local farmers, led by Nangwee’s Liza Balmain say the removal of the RIDA process will mean that the economic impact of coal-seam-gas extraction on farmers’ livelihoods would not be properly investigated under future applications.
“Pat (Weir MP) stated (during the 2024 election campaign that protections) would apply to any new drilling, whereby resource companies would have to go through a full RIDA process before any drilling can be done on the Condamine Alluvium,” Ms Balmain said.
“Instead of fixing up the shortfalls in the RPI Act, as per Pat’s commitment, the LNP are doing away with RIDA impact assessments over the Condamine Alluvium altogether!”
The RPI Act currently restricts resource development in areas of regional interest, like the Condamine Alluvial Floodplain, due to their intrinsic value to the state.
Ms Balmain says the abolishment the requirement for a RIDA for CSG activities occurring in the designated Condamine Alluvium CSG Area would remove all protections for prime agricultural land, its ongoing productive capacity, and economic viability.
Under the new bill, regulation will take place under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (EP Act), which the Government says will avoid a duplicative process.
“However, there is no duplicative process as the two assessment frameworks take care of two very different aspects,” Ms Balmain says.
“The EP Act manages and monitors environmental risk from resource development by assessing the potential harm to environmental values.
“The RPI Act on the other hand is in place to protect prime agricultural land, its ongoing productive capacity and economic viability from any material and permanent impacts caused by resource activities operating in areas of regional interest, including those which are widespread or irreversible.
“It seeks to prevent the harm occurring in the first place under a precautionary principle approach. There is no crossover or duplication. They both have their separate values to protect.”
Ms Balmain says the new Act also severely weakens local landholders’ positions when negotiating land access agreements with Arrow Energy, the joint venture of Shell and PetroChina which operates in the Alluvium catchment.
“With the RPI Act in place, resource companies are forced to negotiate in good faith and offer appropriate and reasonable compensation, as otherwise they will be forced to apply for a RIDA,” she said.
“They don’t want to have to apply for a RIDA as it holds up development, is costly to them, and there is always the risk that it could be rejected.
“If you remove the RIDA requirement as the Crisafulli government is proposing, it puts the landholder in the Condamine Alluvium at a clear disadvantage, as that leverage is lost and the gas company would be able to take them to the Land Court after 50 business days.
“Without the RIDA assessment criteria being applicable to our area, gas companies could ignore all the protections in the RPI Regulation for operating on Priority Agricultural Areas which were put in place to ensure no material impact.
“This reform is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, it is made out to be doing the right thing and offering more protections, but it is doing completely the opposite.
“It is exterminating all our existing protections and bulldozing the barriers so that Arrow Energy can steam roll across this Floodplain, whatever the damage may be to our farms and to the Alluvium that helps grows our food crops and supplies essential water supplies to thousands of people.”
Arrow Energy has previously said it respects the rights of local farmers and will engage in good faith through the legislative framework.
Member for Condamine Pat Weir says he has asked the State Planner to consult with Central Downs farmers.
“There was never going to be a ban (on coal seam gas),” he said.
“This bill will go through a rigorous process.
“We want to protect water and stop subsidence. This is the first time that subsidence has been mentioned in legislation.”
The Regional Planning Interests (Condamine Alluvium) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 has now been referred to the Primary Industries and Resources Committee.
Submissions for the close on Monday, 13th April.
A Public Briefing and Public Hearing will occur in Brisbane on Wednesday, 22nd April with a report due back to the Committee on Friday, 8th May.
