GFCQ speaks to the Australian Drilling Industry Association

GasFields Commission Queensland’s CEO Warwick Squire recently spoke with Jamie Wade from the Australian Drilling Industry Association’s Australasian Drilling magazine.

Warwick discussed coexistence challenges that have arisen over the past 18 months regarding gas development activities in Queensland’s Western Downs region.

Warwick went on to explain how significant landholder and community concerns have resulted in the Commission undertaking a raft of activities aimed at improving coexistence outcomes on the Western Downs, but also throughout the industry as a whole.

“The Commission is now leading the statewide conversation around the coexistence of gas development and intensive farming activities,” he told Australasian Drilling.

Who are the GasFields Commission Queensland?

Established as an independent statutory body in 2013, the Commission’s purpose is to manage and improve the sustainable coexistence of landholders, regional communities and the onshore gas industry in Queensland. The Commission manages sustainable coexistence in petroleum and gas producing regions of Queensland, and will continue to do so as the industry expands into new and emerging basins.

Our vision is to achieve thriving communities in areas of gas development that are free from discord and supported by well-informed, respectful and balanced stakeholder relationships.

One way the Commission is endeavouring to realise this vision is by providing transparency and independent assurances that the onshore gas industry is appropriately regulated and held to account when needed. This in turn will help cultivate sustainable coexistence, whilst ensuring community and landholder confidence in the regulators and gas industry increases.

Drawing on its wealth of experience in the development of the gas industry and by collaborating with other relevant entities, the Commission provides a range of support to communities and landholders, primarily through education and engagement. These education and engagement activities occur with individual landholders via Commission facilitated webinars, information sessions, publications (The Gas Guide, Shared Landscapes Reports), face-to-face meetings and public workshops.

It should be noted that the Commission does not engage in individual negotiations between landholders and gas companies, but rather provides communities and landholders with the information and support they need to make informed decisions and achieve good outcomes.