Authorities have responded after a fire cut gas supplies to the industrial city of Gladstone. 

In a major incident last week, a fire broke out at Jenema's Queensland Gas Pipeline near Bauhinia Downs, resulting in a significant disruption of gas supplies to the Queensland city of Gladstone. 

The blaze, reported near the Dawson Highway south-west of Rockhampton around 7:30am, prompted emergency responses and raised concerns over gas transmission to critical industrial sectors.

Local eyewitness Greta Coyne described the scene, saying; “It was like one of the big old jets went over, but it just kept going... The fire was going right to the sky”.

Jemena, the entity managing the gas and electricity infrastructure involved, confirmed the incident's severity, noting that while the impacts on residential customers are minor, major industrial users in Gladstone faced immediate reductions in gas supply. 

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has intervened, directing a diversion of gas from the Westside Meridian production facility to mitigate the shortfall.

Queensland Resources Minister Scott Stewart has acknowledged the potential repercussions of the incident on gas transmission, emphasising collaboration between the Department of Resources and the Department of Energy and Climate with operational entities during the crisis. 

An investigation has been launched by Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ).

The incident also ignited concerns among Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory, particularly regarding the proposed pipeline projects in the Beetaloo Basin. 

Djingili Elder Samuel Sandy of the Nurrdalinji Aboriginal Corporation says it shows the potential for disaster, considering the region's vulnerability to bushfires exacerbated by climate change.

With Jemena developing a restoration plan for the damaged pipeline section, between the Rolleston Compressor Station and Oombabeer, the company says that safety and restoration have been paramount. 

Meanwhile, AEMO has taken steps to ensure residential gas supplies remain unaffected.