Regional Planning Interests (Condamine Alluvium) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026

Overview

This bill protects the Condamine Alluvium — a large underground water source vital to Darling Downs farming — from damage by coal seam gas (CSG) operations. It delivers on a Queensland Government election commitment to require gas companies to prove new projects will not harm the aquifer, while also expanding compensation rights for landholders affected by ground subsidence from CSG extraction.

Who it affects

Farmers and landholders in the Darling Downs region gain stronger protections for their water supply and expanded compensation rights. CSG companies face tighter environmental conditions and broader liability for subsidence impacts.

Key changes

• New CSG wells in the Condamine Alluvium area must meet a mandatory environmental condition prohibiting water contamination that breaches water quality objectives
• Landholders can claim compensation for CSG-induced ground subsidence that reduces agricultural productivity, even if the gas drilling occurs on a neighbouring property up to 5 km away
• Gas companies must obtain a landholder's agreement before drilling directional (non-vertical) wells beneath private land in the mapped area
• The separate regional interests development approval (RIDA) is removed for CSG activities in the area, shifting all assessment to the environmental authority process
• Existing approved CSG wells and pending applications are grandfathered and not affected by the new conditions