LNG proponents out to gain trust

THE Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has called for a new era in communication between resource companies and regional communities, regarding the value of projects versus environmental and agricultural concerns.

QRC chief Michael Roche said the number-one priority for all resource proponents had to be earning the trust of the communities in which they proposed to operate.

“Without community support, resource developers will see the sum of all their fears in expensive project rejections from government.”

Coming only a week after LNG proponent QGC were told to go back to the drawing board by the Gladstone Regional Council in relation to their housing strategy and only two weeks after work was stopped on their gas pipeline due to no environmental approvals, the same concerns have also been raised in Gladstone regarding the transparency of some companies working in the region.

Gladstone Regional Council Mayor Gail Sellers said companies needed to have a meaningful dialogue with elected representatives and staff before the decisions were made as this would ensure the best outcomes were achieved.

“Council continues to engage and discuss relevant issues with resource companies,” Cr Sellers said.

“I believe that companies need to keep councils, as the community’s elected representatives, fully informed.”