June 20, 2012

The South Burnett now has a second connection to the new Gas Fields Commission with the father of Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington being appointed as one of the State Government’s six new commissioners.

Don Stiller is a landholder and former Mayor of Taroom Shire Council.

He will join Ian Hayllor, a cotton farmer and irrigator who has a long involvement in managing co-existence through his role as Chair of the Basin Sustainability Alliance; Cr Ray Brown, Mayor of the Western Downs Regional Council; Rick Wilkinson, Chief Operating Officer of the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association; Prof Steven Raine, a soil scientist from the University of Southern Queensland; and Shane Charles, CEO of Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise.

Cabinet has approved the appointment of six GasFields Commissioners in a bid to raise confidence in the coal seam gas industry.

Chairman of the Commission is Kinbombi grazier John Cotter.

Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney said the new GasFields Commissioners came from a range of fields and would bring their own individual expertise to the role.

“The GasFields Commissioners take on the important role of working with Commission Chairman John Cotter in managing the co-existence between rural landholders, regional communities and the CSG industry,” Mr Seeney said.

“We said we would appoint a chairman in the 100 Day Action Plan, we selected John Cotter for this important role and now we’ve chosen Commissioners from diverse backgrounds to help continue the Queensland Government’s ongoing commitment to regional communities.”

The group will convene to review 55 public submissions and provide feedback on how the Gasfields Commission should operate.

“This input from the GasFields Commission will shape the legislation which will be introduced in Parliament later this year,” Mr Seeney said.

He said more than 80 expressions of interest were received for the role as a GasFields Commissioner.

“The LNP Energy and Resources Strategy stated the GasFields Commission would include community leaders where the CSG industry operates, a landholder representative and a resources industry representative and we have kept this promise,” he said.