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 Farmer challenges Queensland Gas Company 

Farmer challenges Queensland Gas Company

19 Mar, 2011 04:00 AM
QUEENSLAND Gas Company has been challenged over land-access conditions during construction of a mine accommodation site just several hundred metres from a rural residential dwelling.

Guluguba producer, Neville Stiller, told Queensland Country Life that sub-contractors working for QGC have for the past month been constructing a 600-room accommodation site directly across from his home.

Measuring the distance between his front door and the construction site, which is on a neighbouring property and separated by a dirt road, Mr Neville said there was a space of just 195m.

If Mr Stiller's claims are correct, it would be a clear breach of legislative requirements which state there must be a distance of 400m between existing property households and any mining infrastructure, even if it is on a neighbouring property.

Mr Stiller said he had been first informed by QGC of the planned accommodation site in August and had met several times with staff to express his desire to see the site relocated away from his home.

He said there were also associated noise and dust issues from the constant construction.

A spokesman advised QGC was aware of the concerns raised by Mr Stiller and QGC's pipelines project director Norman Ingram was working on them.

"The dust just blows right across into our home and the noise is so bad it gives me a headache and anyone who phones me always asks what is going on in the background," he said.

"Firstly we want an apology from QGC for the inconvenience they are causing my wife and I. If they cannot move they site we believe we should be compensated for it. But there is other land in the area that would better suit the site. They need to understand there are rules they are supposed to follow."

Queensland Country Life understands QGC is investigating the matter.

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QGC needs an injunction put against the project and have all work stopped until it can be proven that they are operating within the terms of their permits. This mob is accustomed to riding roughshod over anyone in their way and they have no respect for other people, the environment or the damage they cause. Unfortunately, no-one in our political or justice system will curb these greedy gas and coal companies and our freehold land rights get further eroded more and more every day.
Posted by Trugger, 19/03/2011 8:59:09 AM, on Queensland Country Life
Stop with the compensation, tell them to move it, get organised, we can make them move it, public nuisance is a strong legal challenge, breaching EIS should never be compensated for, fight it.
Posted by brianmonk, 19/03/2011 10:21:11 AM, on Queensland Country Life
This is sheer arrogance. How did we allow this siuation where one sector is above all others (and apparently beyond the law) to develop?

It's all about the MONEY and our governments are far more interested in that that those they are elected to serve. It's disgraceful.

Posted by carolinem, 19/03/2011 3:08:08 PM, on Queensland Country Life
So if "Norm Ingram" is "working on them" just what has QGC been doing over the last few months. Not working on them? And who are the contractors and why are they not being made to obey the EIS. QGC have leaking wells, flout EIS conditions but they are still operating. Where are the regulators? They would be jumping all over farmers if they broke the law.
Posted by Democracy, 20/03/2011 10:14:07 PM, on Queensland Country Life
A full page add in Saturday's Courier Mail [page 23] says SOME PEOPLE ALSO WORRY ABOUT OUR IMPACT ON LANDHOLDERS. SO DO WE. They are less than honest with all there dealings with us. There should be time penaltiess for breaches/1 month/3 months/12 months before they can negotiate again. A friend who recently resigned as a liaison officer said to me you knew the truth of projects but were delibrately told to not disclose our full intentions,they were told to lie?
Posted by les, 21/03/2011 6:09:37 AM, on Queensland Country Life

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Neville Stiller photographed the QGC construction site from his roof.
Neville Stiller photographed the QGC construction site from his roof.

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