Western Downs Field Trip
Here is a photo essay from the FAQ Research field trip to Dalby, Cecil Plains, Tara, Chinchilla and other sites on the Western Downs, Queensland. As we were quite technically challenged out west due to limited internet connection, I took a lot of pictures with my mobile phone, instead of my 'real camera'.
We tracked the debate to the source - where its impact is currently being felt on the towns and farms of the Western Downs. We interviewed a wide range of folks, from Senators to local politicians through farmers, activists and townsfolk. Many have intriguing and nuanced views on the Coal Seam Gas debate.
Should you have further interest in this issue, you can find out more on our project website, see some of our filmed interviews, read articles written by our team of experts, or check out the projects dedicated blog on the Crikey website.
Read MoreWe tracked the debate to the source - where its impact is currently being felt on the towns and farms of the Western Downs. We interviewed a wide range of folks, from Senators to local politicians through farmers, activists and townsfolk. Many have intriguing and nuanced views on the Coal Seam Gas debate.
Should you have further interest in this issue, you can find out more on our project website, see some of our filmed interviews, read articles written by our team of experts, or check out the projects dedicated blog on the Crikey website.
The Condamine alluvium
The Cecil Plains area is premium agricultural country of rich alluvial soil. Water for irrigation is drawn from the Condamine alluvium - a plentiful aquifer. There are concerns that this aquifer may join with the coal seam. If this is so, the water that is used domestically and for irrigation could be threatened by the activities of CSG mining. Spokespeople on the issue are very concerned that not enough scientific study has been done to ascertain whether this vital resource could be compromised by CSG mining.
