13th of March 2011
Community Cabinet Protest Rally Toowoomba

Newly formed Surat Basin Engagement Group (SBEG)

On Sunday 13th March at the Community Cabinet in Toowoomba Graham Clapham, as chair of the Central Downs Irrigators, was invited to meet with Minister for Environment and Resource Management, Kate Jones and her Departmental Staff and other community representatives, to discuss the Governments declaration of the Surat Cumulative Management Area. A declared area to asses and manage overlapping underground water impacts from multiple petroleum tenures.

Actions regarding modelling and monitoring of Groundwater impacts from CSG mining was also discussed.  At this meeting it was acknowledged by DERM staff that there will be impacts on landholder bores from CSG extraction.  However the Government is seriously ramping up the monitoring, modelling and data collection effort so that these impacts can be forecast. 
In instances where this information predicts groundwater impacts on landholders bores, CSG companies will be required to negotiate “make good” arrangements beforehand.  Whilst these arrangements are certainly welcome it still leaves landholders with a huge amount of uncertainty regarding the long-term impacts on groundwater and the ability to “make good” into the future.

Also announced at the Community Cabinet was the appointment of John Cotter, a Goomeri Beef producer, to chair the newly formed Surat Basin Engagement Group (SBEG).  This group includes representatives from Community, Industry, Mayors, State Directors General and Water Commissioner Mary Boydell.  This group will have two sub-committees situated at Roma and Dalby. 
Graham Clapham has been appointed to the Dalby sub-committee.

4th of August 2010
Parliament Protest Rally >>  click to view

26th of June 2010
Environmental Visitors at Waverley Cecil Plains >> click to view

• Will they ever Fracc, and what chemicals will they use, and will they tell us what chemicals they are bringing onto our farms and putting into our water?
• How are they managing the water and brine extracted through the drilling; and what exactly do they do with the by-products?
• Ask to view or have them send you a map showing all their future drilling sites, dams etc.
• Can they guarantee there is no interconnection between the aquifers, and that there will be no impact on the GAB?
• Will they be putting evaporation dams on the plains and how will the community have input into the location of their proposed dams?
• How will they manage the floodplain flows with roads across the floodplains
  

We encourage you to ask precise questions and be assertive about getting an answer. Please also take notes on the name of the person you speak with and obtain their contact details for any follow up questions/ answers.

The session is being held at the Cecil Plains Hall tomorrow (22nd June) from 10am-3pm. The last of the sessions is on Wednesday at the Goondiwindi Training & Technology Centre from 9am-12pm.

Please make an effort to attend and make our reservations heard.

Felicity
Save Our Darling Downs

16th of June 2010
Arrow Energy Community Feedback Sessions Update

In previous communication  we expressed that we were unhappy with the proposed format of Arrow Energy’s upcoming community feedback sessions. On Tuesday 15th, members of SODD held further discussions with senior representatives of Arrow where they continued to listen to our concerns in a respectful manner.
We would urge as many as possible to attend one of the community feedback sessions and listen to them with the same respect, but please ask as many questions as you can about the effects of their proposed operations in this region on you and your community. If they can’t answer your questions request they follow up with the information when it is available.
These sessions are Arrow's response to requests for community engagement on their plans for future development in this region so, if after the sessions we as a community feel that request has not been adequately met we will be recommending further action.

It is important that we have good community attendance at these sessions.

14th of June 2010
General Update

• A fortnight ago SODD had a stand at Farmfest; there was good interest and support for our cause. ( Arrow Energy however, did not show up)
• SODD in conjunction with CDIL (Central Downs Irrigators Ltd) have recently engaged a Groundwater Hydrologist to report on the connectivity between the Condamine alluvium and Walloon coal measures. We will let you know the outcome once the report is finished.
• SODD group members have recently met with the following representatives from the LNP: Jeff Seeney, Ray Hopper, John Paul Langbrook, Tim Nichols and Howard Hobbs. We have also met on a few occasions with Toowoomba Regional Councillors who have been very supportive.
• SODD has an appointment arranged to speak with Kerry Shine this week, and has recently had a phone conversation with Ian Macfarlane.
• The SODD website is up and running (www.sodd.com.au), which we plan to regularly update with relevant information and news.
• SODD members have met and had discussions with the Qld Murray Darling Basin Committee representative Jeff Penton.
• Last Tuesday an onsite meeting at Dave Armstrong's Property- Waverly, was held between SODD and 4 representatives from Arrow Energy with a unsatisfactory outcome.
• There has been success with letters being published in both local and state newspapers of late. We feel this is very important in continuing to spread our message, and we encourage everyone to keep/ start writing letters. Letters written to State Government ministers have had unsatisfactory responses but inside information tells us that we are having an impact.
• Check out the clip "CSG Imagine If" on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZeJAPdFXXM
• FYI, following is a link to the QLD governments media release outlining the changes to CSG water storage practices, Qld Gov Media Release- Water Storage
  

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES

• SODD group members are meeting for further discussions with Arrow Energy this coming Tuesday.
• Arrow Energy is holding a community feedback session on the   22nd June at Cecil Plains. We are not happy at the proposed format of meeting being  'walk up anytime' as this tends to isolate individuals. We will advise on further action before the meeting.
• Arrow Energy has recently advertised an application in both the Dalby Herald (link to notice: AE Applic.) and Toowoomba Chronicle for Environmental Authority in relation to constructing a hazardous waste disposal facility (dam), to hold 200,000t of regulated waste each year. This dam is proposed for somewhere in Arrows AT683. It is very important that we each make submissions against this notice. You can view the Environment Management Plan and related appendices on Arrow Energy’s website, under 'Current Applications' or click on the following link:  EMP ATP683  Closing date for submissions is 20 days from 12th June. When writing your submission some areas of concern you may wish to highlight are:

1. No limit specified on the number of dams and wells
2. No specific sites mentioned
3. Much of ATP683  is planned for the Condamine floodplain, where unrestricted structures will have huge impact on water flow.
4. Map showing homesteads show less than 2% of the actual current dwellings
5. It is listed that "weed and pathogen ingress due to vehicles and work crews entering areas is not of concern'
6. Ground Water impacts are not adequately addressed.

We thank-you again for your support and encourage you each to write letters/ e-mails to continue highlighting our case to the government and others associated.
Dave Armstrong is away for the next 3 weeks, however for any further information please contact Graham Clapham -0429700496 or Stuart Armitage -0428680190

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