Tensions between mining companies and farmers over coal seam gas (CSG) exploration have again boiled over, with nine people arrested at a blockade north of Brisbane.
Local landowners set up the blockade in the Kerry Valley, near Beaudesert, on Thursday morning, briefly preventing Arrow Energy workers from conducting exploratory CSG drilling.
A police spokeswoman said nine people were arrested for contravening a police direction. They are due to face Beaudesert Magistrates Court in February.
The Arrow workers were able to begin work after the arrests.
Protest spokesman Innes Larkin, of the Keep the Scenic Rim Scenic group, said about 45 people were involved in the demonstration.
Mr Larkin said the protesters were calling for baseline water tests to be conducted on local aquifers before drilling is allowed to commence.
"Landowners are really, really concerned about their water and concerned that they're not being listened to," he said.
"All of the people arrested, and I'm one of them, have never been arrested before.
"They are law-abiding citizens who have had to make this enormous step to let people know how important this issue is."
More than 30 people would remain at the site, Mr Larkin said.
Arrow Energy spokesman Tony Knight said the wells being drilled at the site were being used to obtain geological information and were not gas production wells.
"Arrow understands the importance of groundwater resources to local communities," he said.
"Arrow also recently released an underground water impact report for the region, which concluded that our exploration activities had negligible to nil impact on groundwater in the region."
Drew Hutton, the president of the anti-CSG Lock the Gate Alliance, was last month found guilty of obstruction and fined $2000 for his part in a blockade against the construction of a CSG pipeline in Queensland's Western Downs.
Mr Hutton has indicated that he will appeal the decision.
Queensland Greens Senator Larissa Waters said the current laws were stacked too heavily in favour of mining companies.
"Who are the real criminals here? The landholders asking for better science about the risks of coal seam gas to their land, or the CSG industry which is once again riding roughshod over the community?" Senator Waters said.
"That people have no rights to stop CSG drilling from endangering our environment proves how inadequate our current laws are."
From the other side of the political spectrum, Bob Katter's Australian Party Queensland leader Aidan McLindon agreed.
"It's a joke. Landowners don't have any rights to their properties - they're given 28 days to negotiate but ultimately they know that the law's stacked in the mining corporations' favour," he said.
"This is not the Australia that our forebears fought for in World Wars I and II."
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