Advocating for increased protection of wildlife habitat in Queensland.
Pelicans, Channel Country, Queensland Image by: Richard Kingsford
PREVENT GAS FRACKING IN WESTERN QUEENSLAND
The Queensland Government continues to ignore its commitment to protecting the Channel Country. Unconventional gas fracking can still occur on fragile floodplains and wetlands. This will damage vast areas of natural habitat, threatening the survival of millions of birds.
IT’S TIME FOR QUEENSLANDERS TO SPEAK UP.
Water Brings Life To The Outback
Extending across the shires of Barcoo, Boulia, and Diamantina, the Channel Country covers 200,000 km2 of far-western Queensland.
The rainfall here is normally low. But during the wet season, this flat country is transformed. The Diamantina and Georgina Rivers and Cooper Creek begin to flow, flooding the surrounding land.
Gas fracking puts this vital landscape under threat.
These floodplains are of global importance—a place where more than 80 species of waterbirds and migratory birds gather and breed.
During major breeding events, up to ten million birds rely on finding this water in remote Australia. This includes iconic species, such as the rare Freckled Duck Stictonetta naevosa, Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia, and Nankeen Night Heron Nycticorax caledonicus.
“The Channel Country has incredible biodiversity, with lots of waterbirds, including Australian Painted Snipe, Red-capped Plovers, Curlew Sandpipers, Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, and Red-necked Stints.
The Lake Eyre Basin rivers are among the few rivers around the world which are largely intact, flowing from northern Australia down to Lake Eyre. Rivers and wetlands in the Lake Eyre Basin need to continue to deliver their water naturally for indigenous communities, landholders, and this wonderful channel country environment.”
– Professor Richard Kingsford, Director of Centre for Ecosystem Science, University of New South Wales.
What Makes Gas Fracking Disastrous
Unconventional gas fracking involves drilling into the earth and directing large volumes of high-pressure water and toxic chemicals at the rock to release the gas inside.
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Built infrastructure obstructs overland flow.
Every gas well requires a well pad, all-weather road and pipeline, and sometimes a storage pond. Even low barriers cause major changes to the floodplain, disconnecting and diverting water away from natural wetlands and waterholes.
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Water is lost from the Great Artesian Basin.
Groundwater is already being used faster than it is replenished. Fracking draws huge amounts of water directly from the basin and its associated freshwater springs. Access to reliable water is vital to agricultural production and overall ecosystem health. A UN report estimates that a single frack operation on a shale gas well will use between 11 and 34 million litres of water. Thousands of wells will be fracked several times.
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Contamination spreads downstream.
Chemicals may escape during drilling and contaminate the Great Artesian Basin, impacting wildlife, birds, and aquatic systems. Spills of fracking fluids can occur at drill sites or during transportation. Even small amounts of contamination can degrade downstream breeding habitats and accumulate in Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre.
“Gas and petroleum activities in the Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre Basin are incompatible with its globally unique ecological values, particularly in the sensitive floodplains, rivers, and basins. They also seriously undermine the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change and should be prohibited. “
Adjunct Professor Rob Fowler, Conservation Representative, Lake Eyre Basin Community Advisory Committee.
Ready To Stand With Experts?
It only takes minutes to sign our petition and challenge the Queensland Government to step up.
A Snapshot Of A Vibrant Landscape
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The Diamantina and Georgina Rivers and Cooper Creek are among the last environmentally-intact desert rivers remaining on the planet.
The river systems support major colonies of pelicans, cormorants, herons and ibis, with around 50,000 established pelican nests.
The Freckled Duck Stictonetta naevosa is one of the rarest Australian ducks, with over 10% of its total population occurring in the lakes of the Channel Country.
The Grey Grasswren Amytornis barbatus is endemic to the Channel Country floodplains, where it resides in lignum and canegrass swaps.
In the floodplain wetlands, native fish migrate and large-scale spawning occurs, boosting fish populations.
Water from the Channel Country flood season helps recharge Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre and the Great Artesian Basin. The Great Artesian Basin is the only reliable source of water across 22% of Australia.
“Free flowing water is essential for our natural systems, from here in the Vergemont Channels all the way to the rivers and floodplains of the Lake Eyre Basin. The unfortunate mismanagement of the Murray-Darling Basin should be warning enough. The channel country must not be fracked.”
Angus Emmott, Channel Country landholder, and respected naturalist
A Dire Threat To The Irreplaceable Channel Country
Over the past decade, successive governments have removed and relaxed protections for the Channel Country.
Unconventional gas fracking can occur in these places of significant biodiversity. This is the single largest threat to the health of Queensland’s Channel Country and the rivers that recharge the Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre Basin.
Gas companies are already conducting exploratory exercises in the floodplains. Urgent intervention is needed to prevent the expansion of unconventional gas fracking into this fragile region.
Under Threat and Without Protection
In the past, the Channel Country’s rivers, floodplains, and wetlands were legally protected under the Wild Rivers Act 2005. But in 2014, this Act was revoked by the former Newman LNP government.
The Palaszczuk Labor Government has committed to legally protecting Channel Country rivers and floodplains in 2015, 2017, and 2020 elections.
These election commitments have not yet been delivered. The rivers and floodplains in the Channel Country are now at risk of being irreversibly damaged by unconventional gas and other resource development projects which are currently being assessed by government agencies.
Ready To Fight For Something Worth Saving?
When you sign this petition, you help to hold the Queensland Government accountable for meeting their election commitments. The petition asks the Queensland Government to listen to scientists and naturalists and prohibit unconventional gas fracking in this sensitive environment.