Thursday, June 14

Rural pilots air CSG safety fears

Agricultural pilots want a national database of coal seam gas (CSG) developments, saying they pose a significant aviation safety risk.

About 40,000 CSG wells are expected to be drilled in Queensland over the next 30 years.
The Aerial Agricultural Association (AAA), which represents crop dusting pilots, says it is concerned about gas plumes and emissions from the wells.

AAA chief executive Phil Hurst says powerlines connected to the wells are also a hazard to pilots.

"If coal seam gas well heads are accompanied by powerlines the risk of a crash is real and imminent as soon as those powerlines go in," he said.

He says CSG workers present another issue for his members.

"We've certainly have had cases in the past where sprays have had to be abandoned because of people entering the spray zone," Mr Hurst said.

He says pilots want a national database of CSG infrastructure detailing low-level hazards.

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ABC News

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