Working on the land

Abstract

A defining characteristic of Queensland’s natural gas industry is that upstream operations are located in a region with a strong and diverse agricultural industry. The gas resource lies beneath this farming land and the industry has had to overcome the challenge of covering huge distances to maintain thousands of gas wells and associated infrastructure – all while trying to reduce disruption on thousands of predominantly family-owned properties. Earning the trust and respect of landholders has, therefore, been essential to the success of the industry. Mistakes were made by the industry in the early days, but attitudes on both sides have since changed and evolved. There has been a move towards coexistence, respect and consent as the foundation for a long-term and mutually beneficial relationship. Along the way, the industry approach to land access has changed significantly over time. There are now many shining examples of best practice and innovation in the industry and a willingness to share solutions. This paper details the legal underpinning of Queensland’s land access process, the history of the industry in Queensland’s Darling Downs region, key lessons learned by the industry, and some of the innovations and new approaches developed by the land access professionals in the industry.