The ABC’s Craig Zonca reports (11.10.16) on calls by concerned rural landholders for the state government to abolish the GasFields Commission, in the wake of a review into the Commission’s operations.
‘The Basin Sustainability Alliance (BSA) is calling on the Queensland Government to scrap the state’s GasFields Commission and introduce an ombudsman to resolve disputes between landholders and resource companies.
‘The commission faces an uncertain future as the Palaszczuk Government considers its response to a review of the organisation’s functions.
‘BSA chairman Lee McNicholl argued the commission was ‘well past its use-by-date’. “I think it’s about high time that Minister Lynham faced up to dealing with the organisation”.
‘The review was completed in July but is yet to be made public.
‘The GasFields Commission was established in 2012 by the previous Newman state government to “manage and improve sustainable coexistence among rural landholders, regional communities and the onshore gas industry”.’