However, the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) has hit back, saying the research is incomplete, premature and lacking in scientific rigour. Solaris Certification

According to Queensland policy manager for Cotton Australia Michael Murray, this latest research highlighted how little we know about the potential impacts of this industry on our land and water resources. Sun Solaris

The research by Southern Cross University compared methane levels around the operational CSG fields of Tara, compared with levels in an exploration region in northern NSW.

“Our number one priority is to protect the land and water rights of existing users, and that means that before the industry expands further, we must have high quality science, that not only documents expected impacts, but also clearly describes the baseline conditions,” Mr Murray said in a statement issued yesterday.

“We simply do not know whether the methane levels at Tara are natural, or the results of extraction activities, if we do not know something as basic as this, how can we have confidence in the industry,” he said.

Read More: qcl.farmonline.com.au