A LANDHOLDER at a meeting with Arrow Energy last weekend expressed the strong frustration of fellow Scenic Rim property owners who are blockading a coal seam gas (CSG) exploration site.
Kerry-based mixed farmer Michael Undery said he was conservative and did not usually take part in public protests.
As he found himself in the blockade facing Arrow, Mr Undery said he did not wish to speak a word until he had heard from the company. He listened carefully as Arrow presented its case.
The company said it was conducting low-level, short-duration CSG exploration in the Beaudesert-Boonah region, which consisted of drilling two exploration wells and routine rehabilitation work on pre-existing exploration wells, with activities expected to be completed next month.
Arrow said the exploration wells were designed to obtain information about the area's geology and were not used for CSG production or to produce water to surface. The company said the process took less than a fortnight to drill, evaluate and remediate.
Arrow has a land access agreement with the owner of the property being blockaded.
During the meeting, Mr Undery said Arrow had been pushing to continue its planned exploration activities before any independent testing was conducted across the region.
He renewed a call which landholders across the State have made for the past few years.
He told Arrow's vice-president of exploration Tony Knight there were families who had farmed the region for more than 140 years and they were concerned about the future safety of water from CSG activities.
He said independent water testing was a "must" and "non-negotiable" before any further exploration takes place.
Keep The Scenic Rim Scenic began as a movement last year, as locals became increasingly concerned about the rumours of planned CSG and coal mining activities across their region.
Home to burgeoning agriculture and tourism industries, many in the region, including the Scenic Rim Regional Council, do not believe these industries can coexist with any mining development.
Since more than 300 protestors gathered at the farm east of Kerry late last week, 13 people have been arrested and charged.
Each morning since, at least 30 protestors gather from across the district to block access to the Arrow workers trying to enter the drill site, and a small group camps at the site at night.
And while Arrow has not been able to re-enter the site, a stalemate had emerged between the company and the protestors over where and when a meeting could take place to discuss the protest demands.
The protestors want to meet at the blockade site, whereas Arrow wishes to negotiate at the Scenic Rim Council chambers at Beaudesert.
The parties also cannot agree on semantics, with the protestors calling the meeting "negotiations" whereas Arrow insists on simply "discussions".
Despite this, protest organiser Innes Larkin said the blockade was delivering a clear message to the CSG company.
"We are here to tell Arrow that it has not engaged with landholders and we are really disappointed in this company's actions," he said.
Mr Undery said the protestors would not leave the site, and would blockade any future drill sites, until their list of demands were met.
"Arrow has to understand there is a real mix of blockies and landholders among the protesters - these are conservative middle-class people who don't usually make a stand like this," he said.
"But this is where we live and work and this is our culture - and the government and Arrow Energy better start taking notice of that.
"A lot of us are from mad Irish stock and we are not going anywhere, so they just better watch out."
In a statement on Tuesday, Arrow said it had again offered key members of the Beaudesert/Boonah community a meeting with senior Arrow staff in Beaudesert.
"Arrow believes is it not appropriate to hold the meeting in a donga," the company said.
Mr Knight said geology and hydrogeology technical experts were available to answer the questions of protestors.
Scenic Rim Mayor John Brent encouraged protestors and Arrow representatives to meet at the council chambers.
"I am a rural producer myself... and I understand their concerns - but no issue has ever been resolved without sitting down in a neutral environment and working through the issues," he said.
With protestors camped across the front of his property, the landholder who owns the blockaded farm told Queensland Country Life he had signed an agreement to allow Arrow to conduct exploration activities at his 69-hectare horse stud.
He said he did not wish to comment about the blockade.
Ten Arrow workers had gained access to the drill site early last Wednesday morning after a strong police presence moved protestors from the property driveway.
Mr Larkin said one local business owner was arrested and protestors planned to continue their civil disobedience campaign in the coming days.
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