JAMES Baulderstone is the son and grandson of farmers from the historic Murray River farming town of Mannum, which is about 80km east of Adelaide, has a degree in environmental science and is vice-president of Santos’s eastern Australian operations.

On Monday, Santos launched a $934 billion bid to buy all of Eastern Star Gas, and yesterday Mr Baulderstone was in the region talking to the media, outlining a plan for improved levels of communication, and building relationships with farmers and landholders alarmed at the prospect of coal seam gas mining on their properties.

He said while coal seam gas mining was a new industry in the North West, in Queensland it was 20 or more years old.

“People understand it, they see its benefits,” he said.

Mr Baulderstone said such was the relationship Santos had with landholders, that Wallumbillah, Queensland, cattle producer Col Maunder volunteered to tell his tale of Santos and “that’s why they were always welcome on my place” in a TV advertisement.

“It’s very encouraging for us when this kind of support comes forward,” Mr Baulderstone said.

“You can’t do these projects without support, you can’t force your way through.

“You have to have the support of the community.

“We’re very confident, once people understand how Santos goes about things and how the industry can be developed, that we will have the support, given the huge benefit to the state and to these local communities that this industry will bring.”

Mr Baulderstone said one thing yet to be a subject of discussion was the long-term benefit gas exploration and mining would bring to centres like Tamworth and the region.

“I’m from a small country town – I know what it is like, where all the kids have to leave to the big cities or to other areas because there are no jobs. We offer some great apprenticeship opportunities, we offer real investment in communities, we offer support for communities and that’s what this investment will do,” he said.

He said hopefully discussion would be the next phase in the process of consultation.

Santos will have a major presence in every eastern Australian onshore gas basin, from Moomba in South Australia, near the Queensland border, to the giant fields of the Bowen and Surat basins, inland from Gladstone, Queensland, and in the Otway Basin in Victoria.

A decision on the bid is expected to be reached by the end of October.