Undertaking site visits along the North Queensland Gas Pipeline between Newlands district, near Collinsville and Woodstock, near Townsville, are from left, Caitlin Mill, Field Officer, Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee; John Day,Soil Conservation Consultant, Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee; Cameron Jackson, NQGP Pipeline Operator – Worley Power Services; and Bernie Claussen, Soil Conservation Officer, NQ Dry Tropics.
Plans to tackle 10 erosion sites along 200km of the gas pipeline
The North Queensland Gas Pipeline (NQGP) is a 391-kilometre onshore natural gas pipeline that runs from Moranbah to the Townsville Power Station.
NQGP has a number of service agreements in place to ensure the continued operation of the pipeline.
NQGP has a field services agreement with Worley Power Services covering operation, maintenance and minor construction activities on the pipeline.
MRCCC Field Officer Caitlin Mill helps to survey a gully, one of 10 sites to be remediated.
NQ Dry Tropics has engaged the services of renowned soil erosion expert, John Day from the Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee (MRCCC) to design remediation plans for 10 gully erosion sites along a 200km stretch of pipeline between Newlands, near Collinsville, and Woodstock, near Townsville.
This follows the inspection of 28 erosion sites along the pipeline last month, by MRCCC, Worley Power Services, and NQ Dry Tropics. NQGP has a field services agreement with Worley Power Services covering operation, maintenance and minor construction activities on the pipeline.
Worley Power Services has agreed to use the designs, developed by soil conservation consultant John Day, for MRCCC, to remediate gullies. Remediation works will start next year after the wet season.
Most sites are linear gullies encroaching on the gas pipeline and likely to expose the pipeline, if not remediated.
Many erosion issues along the pipeline have been created by previous earthworks such as whoa boys and diversion banks that failed to slow water flow. Cattle padding is also a common cause of linear erosion with gully heads advancing up the slope towards the buried pipe.
NQ Dry Tropics will also help landholders on properties crossed by the easement to implement site-specific grazing management practices that will assist with gully remediation and other erosion issues.
The commitment by NQGP to remediate gullies along the easement cannot be underestimated.
Challenges to carry out the remediation works include:
- remoteness and access issues;
- the existence of many small gullies means treating them individually is not cost-effective; and
- the need for expertise to design long-lasting repairs.
Soil Conservation Consultant John Day surveys a gully along the gas pipeline running between Newlands and Wood
EVERYBODY’S ON BOARD…
Landholders Driving Change will never achieve the desired whole-of-catchment water quality and land management outcomes if the sole focus is on the grazing community.
A key aim of LDC is to effectively engage with non-agricultural land managers to gain an understanding of how they operate, and to identify a standard of practice equivalent to what is being asked of the grazing community, then ensuring those responsible for implementing and maintaining on-ground works have the knowledge and commitment to deliver at this level.
Working with non-agricultural land managers is critical to help improve land management across the whole catchment to achieve long-term economic, social and environmental benefits.