FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday 15 July 2025
As gas projects rapidly expand across Queensland’s most productive farmland, new research finds planning laws meant to protect rural communities are failing. Instead of delivering true “coexistence,” the system grants gas companies unchecked access – leaving farming livelihoods, land, and safety at risk.
Published in the Journal of Rural Studies, the study examines Queensland’s planning framework—particularly the Regional Planning Interests Act 2014 (Qld) – and reveals how it enables industry interests to consistently override farmers’ rights.
👉 Read the paper
Key Safeguards Over-ridden
“The system gives the impression of balance, but in practice it allows gas companies to self-assess and override key safeguards,” said Dr Dougall, WHS expert and lead author. “It’s a textbook case of performative planning – going through the motions without actually protecting farming communities or our high-value agricultural land.”
The research shows that most gas development on Priority Agricultural Areas and Strategic Cropping Land has proceeded without triggering the very assessment mechanisms designed to protect them. New maps included in the study illustrate how, since 2015, the vast majority of gas projects have bypassed these planning triggers altogether. Weak oversight, proponent-led approvals, and opaque decision-making have created an uneven playing field – where multinational companies benefit, and farmers bear the risks.
“What’s truly non-renewable in the energy transition is not gas – it’s the farmland and communities being eroded to support it,” Dr Dougall said. “Without stronger governance, we’re sacrificing long-term agricultural sustainability for short-term industrial gain.”
The study calls on the Queensland Government to overhaul proponent-led planning rules and give farmers a binding voice in land-use decisions affecting their workplaces. It urges urgent reforms to make planning processes more transparent, participatory, and accountable – particularly in recognising the safety and wellbeing of host farmers.
“This isn’t about being anti-gas. It’s about being pro-farming, we need a system that respects the people growing our food and fibre.”
Dr Shay Dougall
The findings echo long-standing concerns raised by farmers west of Dalby, who have experienced firsthand how current planning laws fail to protect high-value farmland and rural livelihoods. The Santos Mahalo project, currently proposed north of Rolleston, appears to be heading down the same path—highlighting the urgent need for reform. “What’s happening in Dalby should serve as a cautionary tale,” said Dr Dougall. “If we don’t act now, we risk repeating the same mistakes for these important farming families.”
From the paper: “The term “coexistence” features prominently in the Regional Planning Interests Act (RPIA) and in government discourse but remains legally undefined and procedurally unenforceable. Its invocation—particularly by statutory actors such as the GasFields Commission Queensland (now known as Coexistence Queensland)—suggests that the achievement of coexistence is equated with land access contracts, rather than with accountable and participatory planning. This rhetorical use of coexistence mirrors critiques in other extractive contexts, where policy language serves to obscure conflict and construct consensus
About Dr Shay Dougall
Dr Shay Dougall is a rural-based WHS consultant, researcher, and advocate with over 20 years of experience working with agricultural communities impacted by resource development. She holds a PhD from QUT focused on the governance of co-located gas infrastructure and farm workplaces. Her work highlights critical gaps in regulatory protections for host farmers and promotes policy reform through a psychosocial safety lens. Dr Dougall regularly advises landholders, contributes to parliamentary inquiries, and collaborates across academic, legal, and grassroots sectors to improve planning, workplace safety, and justice in rural Australia.
Shay can be reached here on LinkedIn