Origin seeks fossil fuel leases in 'incredibly fragile' Queensland channel country

Exclusive: applications to explore Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre basin submitted by energy company last July but previously unreported

The energy company Origin wants to search for fossil fuels across 225,000 hectares of the Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre basin in Queensland's channel country - part of one of the world's biggest free-flowing river systems.

The company is waiting to hear if the Queensland government will grant the applications for 10 petroleum leases, which were submitted in July last year but have not been previously reported.