Origin Energy Limited has come up with an interesting concept through which it hopes to prove that mining and agriculture can indeed survive together in the same region. They are hoping to run what they call a ‘drought free’ demonstration farm.
The energy company is going to use a farm across the Condamine River from its Monreagh coal seam gas mine in Queensland. They are guaranteeing water supply to the farm so that it does not have a drought problem.
They will have close to 20 coal seam gas wells at the 1,100 hectare Monreagh property located 300 km west of Brisbane. Martin Ferguson the federal energy minister said that appropriate regulation needs to be in place before the coal seam gas industry expands.
Origin's district land and water supervisor, Ronald Thompson, said that sooner or later the drought will come back and this will mean a drought-proof farm. However the state government at Queensland said that the demonstration farm would not be allowed to go ahead if it blocked the investment worth $45 billion in the coal seam gas industry in the state.