Carbon capture ban announced, calls for feds to support

The Miles government announced the ban overnight, saying it will be legislated and that it clarifies that activities involving greenhouse gas storage or the injection of a greenhouse gas stream into underground formations within the Great Artesian Basin are not permissible.

The ban also extends to enhanced oil or petroleum recovery activities that use a greenhouse gas stream.

Premier Steven Miles said all of the activities may be able to continue in other parts of the state, subject to rigorous existing assessment and approval processes, and that a technical expert panel will review the safety aspects of greenhouse gas storage for areas outside the Great Artesian Basin.

The panel will be appointed soon and will report back in 2025.

The news comes in the wake of an announcement by the state Department of Environment, Science and Innovation last Friday that it had found Glencore's Surat Basin Carbon Capture and Storage Project was not suitable to proceed.

An assessment by Queensland's enviromental regulator found that the precipice sandstone aquifer in the GAB, where the project had proposed to inject captured CO2 for storage, was not a confined aquifer, which was a strict requirement of the regulation.

Glencore said at the time that the decision was disappointing and was resigned to the ban announced by Premier Miles on Friday morning.

"With this decision the Queensland government has now effectively banned carbon capture and storage projects in Queensland," a spokesperson said last week.

They said it was now up to the state government to explain how it was going to meet its ambitious emissions reduction targets in the absence of CCS technology for heavy industry.

"If CCS is not available as an abatement option for industry it will have far-reaching ramifications for the resources sector which provides jobs for thousands of Queenslanders and is the cornerstone of the state economy," they said.

"It's a missed opportunity for Queensland and sends mixed messages on emissions reduction to industry who are looking to invest in low emission technologies, including CCS.

"It is also in direct opposition to the Albanese government's ongoing support for CCS."

Welcoming the state announcement of the carbon dumping ban, Lock The Gate Alliance went on to urge the federal government to abandon its support for the technology.

Lock the Gate Alliance National Coordinator Ellen Roberts said Queensland covered 65 per cent of the GAB, but federal Labor's Future Gas Strategy promoted carbon capture and storage across the entire Great Artesian Basin.

"The Albanese government needs to scrap the dangerous Future Gas Strategy, and other states and territories that overlay the basin ought to follow Queensland's example," she said.

Lock the Gate has also called on the Queensland government to protect the Great Artesian Basin from further damage by coal and gas projects.

Ms Roberts said carbon capture and storage was unproven at scale, and was used by the fossil fuel industry as a tactic to delay real emissions reduction.

According to the Premier, the ban builds on the state government's protection of the Lake Eyre Basin and new laws locking in 75 by 35 emissions reductions targets.

He said environment protections were foundational for his government, adding that the upcoming state budget would provide up to $32 million to continue the successful bore capping program, with Queensland seeking a matching contribution from the federal government.

"This funding will support the implementation of the Great Artesian Basin and Other Regional Aquifers Water Plan, which requires all artesian stock and domestic bored to have watertight delivery systems by 2032,'" he said.

Almost 770 bores have been rehabilitated and 450 drains piped.

Around 15,000 kilometres of open drains have been decommissioned over the years, saving more than 226,000 megalitres of water and resulting in increased groundwater pressure and the re-emergence of natural springs and wetland ecosystems.

The Queensland Farmers' Federation were among those welcoming the state government announcement on Friday.

QFF CEO Jo Sheppard said it was an important step forward for the 180,000 people, 7600 businesses and 120 towns who rely upon the GAB every day for their stock and drinking water.

"QFF thanks the Queensland government for listening and responding to the concerns of Queensland farmers and communities," she said. "In the absence of federal policy on this issue, the Miles government has stepped up and taken a leadership role to ensure the Queensland component of the GAB is protected for generations to come."

She said the new laws were expected to be introduced and passed by the Queensland Parliament before the state election in October, and called for bipartisan support from all sides of politics to enact the changes.

She also called on the other states and the federal government to "follow the leadership provided by the Queensland Premier and play their part to protect the GAB".

"QFF will continue to work with the National Farmers' Federation and other peak bodies to advocate for appropriate measures to be included in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act review, which is currently underway," she said.