Project lacks support: Toowoomba, Queensland

Origin Energy and Skills Queensland have announced a new program where farmers with CSG operations on their property will be formally recognised for their skills used maintaining the area around gas wells. However, some farmers want nothing to do with the program.

Origin Energy and Skills Queensland have announced a plan to formally recognise farmers for land management skills developed while working with gas operations on their properties.

The Working Together Program would allow landholders with well sites on their properties to take over maintenance of the sites and be paid for the work they do.

Origin also sees the program as a way to fill staffing shortages in the growing resource industry.

Both rural lobby group AgForce Queensland and the Queensland Farmers Federation have come on board as partners in the project.

However, some local farmers are not so keen to start working for an industry they say is damaging their livelihood.

Graham Clapham is an irrigator and landholder near Cecil Plains, 40 kilomtres south of Dalby.

While he is not directly affected by Origin gas operations, his property is earmarked for exploration by another gas company.

Mr Clapham said farmers around Cecil Plains were already fully involved in their businesses and had no interest in developing skills maintaining gas wells.

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Toowoomba Chronicle