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State Significant Development

Determination

Narrabri Gas

Narrabri Shire

Current Status: Determination

Interact with the stages for their names

  1. SEARs
  2. Prepare EIS
  3. Exhibition
  4. Collate Submissions
  5. Response to Submissions
  6. Assessment
  7. Recommendation
  8. Determination

The project involves the progressive development of a coal seam gas field over 20 years with up to 850 gas wells and ancillary infrastructure, including gas processing and water treatment facilities.

Attachments & Resources

SEARs (3)

EIS (71)

Submissions (221)

Response to Submissions (18)

Agency Advice (46)

Additional Information (8)

Assessment (8)

Determination (3)

Approved Documents

Management Plans and Strategies (34)

Reports (2)

Notifications (2)

Other Documents (1)

Note: Only documents approved by the Department after November 2019 will be published above. Any documents approved before this time can be viewed on the Applicant's website.

Complaints

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Enforcements

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Inspections

There are no inspections for this project.

Note: Only enforcements and inspections undertaken by the Department from March 2020 will be shown above.

Submissions

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Showing 161 - 180 of 6108 submissions
Peter Emerson
Object
Inverell NSW , New South Wales
Message
Save the water table and the Pillaga from destruct gas drilling !
Melissa North
Object
Manjimup , Western Australia
Message
Leave the artesian basin alone. The local communities DO NOT WANT THIS.
Anne Minos
Object
Seaspray , Victoria
Message
The drilling would be devestating for the environment
Millie Burston
Comment
Fairney View , Queensland
Message
I hope this beautiful country will be around for future generations to enjoy. Please respect mother earth, we only have one.
Helen Lewers
Object
NAPOLEONS , Victoria
Message

The Narrabri Gas Project must not be allowed access to the Great Australian Basin

The Narrabri gasfield poses a real risk to our two most precious water resources: the Great Artesian Basin and the Murray-Darling Basin and must not be allowed on this basis alone. The area of the Great Artesian Basin with the highest recharge rates is almost entirely contained within the Pilliga East forest. It is potentially possible that water removed for CSG extraction could reduce water pressure in the recharge areas--which would stop the free flow of waters to the surface at springs and bores across the whole Great Artesian Basin. It would be unconscionable to allow this gas project to go ahead.

Creeks in the Pilliga run into the Namoi River--a part of the Murray Darling Basin. This system is vulnerable to contamination from drilling fluid spills and the salty treated water produced from the proposed 850 wells. I note that many toxic chemicals are added to drilling fluids. Again - it is unconscionable that an Australian state government would oblige a gas company at the expense of a whole environment and at the expense of future generations of Australians who need access to clean water. Climate change will impact on the amount of ground water available. This valuable resource should not be handed over to some organisation whose only concern is making a profit in the short term. The depletion of the water resource and the damage to its purity should result in a rejection of the application.

The Pilliga must be protected - not destroyed. It is a haven for threatened wildlife

Again it would be unconscionable to grant a permit for this disastrous operation to proceed. The Pilliga is one of 15 nationally listed `biodiversity hotspots' and is vital to the survival of threatened species like the Koala, Spotted-tailed Quoll, Black-striped Wallaby, Eastern Pygmy-possum, Pilliga Mouse and South-eastern Long-eared Bat. The forest is home to over 200 bird species and is internationally recognised as an Important Bird Area. The Santos gasfield would fragment 95,000 hectares of the Pilliga with well pads, roads, and water and gas pipelines--damaging vital habitat and threatening the survival of endangered species. The Australian environment should not be seen as a resource only to be plundered. Its value is inherent and must be protected for all to enjoy - now and in the future. Renewables will soon provide all of our energy needs. Tourism can replace destructive mining endeavours such as this one. But tourists will not come to a poisoned earth.

Do not compromise human health
A range of hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds can be released into the air from coal seam gas operations, including flaring of gas wells. The effects of volatile organic compounds vary, but can cause eye, nose and airway irritation, headache, nausea, dizziness and loss of coordination. These impacts have been documented in human populations nearby to existing gasfields in Queensland, Sydney and in America. Again - this is unconscionable!

Please just say no to this barbaric, uncivilised, unethical, unprincipled, destructive, short-term proposition, and call it for the short term profit of a few that it is. A planning permit would be at the expense of our life-giving environment.
Martin McCarthy
Object
Cootamundra , New South Wales
Message
This is environmental vandalism on a huge scale and must be stopped.
Kris Heather
Object
401 McCabes Rs Bundagen , New South Wales
Message
It has been proven over and over that CSG mining is not a cheap way to get fuel it is costly to the environment and the people the land and the water ! The companies that take it do not look after the environment and the profits go overseas! Time to stop this mismanagement of OUR LAND AND WATER TIME TO PROTECT OUR FUTURE AND OUR PEOPLE !!!
Jarryd Cameron
Object
Warabrook , New South Wales
Message
We have already scared the Hunter area to a massive extent, We should not allow other places to receive internal injuries that will take millenias to recover just for a couple of inhuman-beings to make a profit
SHEILA WALKER
Object
RYDE , New South Wales
Message
Why Santos and other companies like them say that fracking for coal seam gas is not detrimental to the environment is beyond me. They, and the Department of Environment ought to take a look at lagoons and creeks that flow out of and into the Condamine River in QLD. Most of them are devoid of any wildlife. Point in case - a lagoon on the property formally known as "Red Marley"
David Kerr
Object
Manly , New South Wales
Message
Environmentally unproven-recommend watching Gasland and Gasland 2
Our vast Artesian Basin is under threat, this water is for farmers and future generations from a greedy US corporation.
The traditional owners do not support this act of sabotage on their land. No matter what the current government are doing to wipe away traditional owners rights over land, I say they have every right for final say.
Worse case scenarios are pretty bad outcomes for farmers and local people. Will Santos clean up their mess? Answer is No to that one.
Do we really want to have 200-300 earthquakes a year, like what's happening in Oaklajima in the US.
Hillary Clinton lied to the world, that's how we got here, let's be honest. The world doesn't even need this technology, lets push to other clean renewable energies.
Santos are evil!
This deal is evil
kirk simpson
Object
Pascoe vale , Victoria
Message
to whom it may concern,

we live in a day and age where projects such as this simply cannot be justified, we as a country should be leading the fight in renewable energies and practices. I strongly believe that the cost of this project to the environmental sector is too great to allow it to proceed, I strongly oppose this project and as an individual in the field of wildlife and conservation I can tell you that short term monetary gain will inevitably bite you in the perverbial. This is your wake up call, do you want your children and their children to be able to wander the forests with friends, family and enjoy the wildlife and bushland Australia has to offer? Do you really want to be responsible for why it won't be there for them? Heed my words, this will be disastrous and simply can NOT go ahead no matter the due diligence that you may think you may have made.

Regards,

Kirk simpson
Cindy Kerr
Object
Beaconsfield , New South Wales
Message
I object to all the mining greed, we should be developing renewables not using out of date mining that only benefits the greedy politicians and miners.
Robert Wickham
Object
Underwood , Tasmania
Message
I think it's about time we, as a nation, gave up this short sighted approach to our energy needs. We are permanently destroying the environment to gain a temporary prize.
Leave the gas in the ground, where it should be.
Australia has more than enough sunshine and wind to create all the power we need.
We should be investing in technology, not relying on temporary supplies of fossil fuels.
Claire de Trafford
Object
Ocean Grove , Victoria
Message
1. The Narrabri Gas Project risks precious water sources, including the Great Australian Basin--Australia's largest groundwater aquifer
The Narrabri gasfield poses a real risk to our two most precious water resources: the Great Artesian Basin and the Murray-Darling Basin. The area of the Great Artesian Basin with the highest recharge rates is almost entirely contained within the Pilliga East forest. In a worst-case scenario, the water removed for CSG extraction could reduce water pressure in the recharge areas--potentially stopping the free flow of waters to the surface at springs and bores across the whole Great Artesian Basin.¹

Creeks in the Pilliga run into the Namoi River--a part of the Murray Darling Basin. This system is vulnerable to contamination from drilling fluid spills and the salty treated water produced from the proposed 850 wells.

2. The Gamilaraay Traditional Custodians are opposed
There are hundreds of cultural sites as well as songlines and stories connecting the Gamilaraay to the forest and to the groundwater beneath. Gamilaraay people are deeply involved in the battle against CSG, and have told Santos they do not want their country sacrificed for a coal seam gas field.

3. Farmers and other local community reject the project
Extensive community surveys have shown an average of 96% opposition to CSG. This stretches across a massive 3.2 million hectares of country surrounding the Pilliga forest, including 99 communities. Hundreds of farmers have participated in protest actions unlike any previously seen in the region.

4. The Narrabri Gas Project has a long history of spills and leaks of toxic CSG water--Santos cannot be trusted to manage the project safely
Santos has already contaminated a freshwater aquifer in the Pilliga with uranium at levels 20 times higher than safe drinking water guidelines, as well as lead, aluminium, arsenic and barium². In addition, there have been over 20 reported spills and leaks of toxic CSG water from storage ponds, pipes and well heads. Santos cannot be trusted.

5. The Pilliga is a haven for threatened wildlife
The Pilliga is one of 15 nationally listed `biodiversity hotspots' and is vital to the survival of threatened species like the Koala, Spotted-tailed Quoll, Black-striped Wallaby, Eastern Pygmy-possum, Pilliga Mouse and South-eastern Long-eared Bat. The forest is home to over 200 bird species and is internationally recognised as an Important Bird Area². The Santos gasfield would fragment 95,000 hectares of the Pilliga with well pads, roads, and water and gas pipelines--damaging vital habitat and threatening the survival of endangered species.

6. Coal seam gas fuels dangerous climate change
Methane is by far the major component of natural gas, and is a greenhouse gas 72 times more powerful than CO². CSG fields contribute to climate change through the leakage of methane during the production, transport, processing and use of coal seam gas.

7. Human health is compromised by coal seam gas
A range of hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds can be released into the air from coal seam gas operations, including flaring of gas wells. The effects of volatile organic compounds vary, but can cause eye, nose and airway irritation, headache, nausea, dizziness and loss of coordination⁴. These impacts have been documented in human populations nearby to existing gasfields in Queensland, Sydney and in America.

8. The nation's premier optical astronomical observatory is at risk
The Siding Springs Observatory, situated in the Warrumbungles and adjacent to the Pilliga, is under threat from the Narrabri Gas Project due to light and dust pollution⁵. The area has been internationally recognised as a `dark sky park'⁶ and the 50m high gas flares proposed by Santos threaten the viability of the facility.

9. Thousands of tonnes of salt waste will result from the project
Santos has no solution for disposing of the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of salt that will be produced. Between 17,000 and 42,000 tonnes of salt waste would be produced each year. This industry would leave a toxic legacy in NSW.

10. Risk of fires would increase throughout the Pilliga's tinder-box conditions
Methane flare stacks up to 50m high would be running day and night, even on total fire ban days. The Pilliga is prone to severe bushfires. The project would increase ignition sources as well as extracting, transporting and storing a highly flammable gas right within this extremely fire-prone forest.
Jennifer Macdonald
Object
Brunswick , Victoria
Message
You need to protect our wildlife, we need to switch to renewable energy this is not the future I'm disappointed that the government would approve this disaster!!
Maggie Date
Object
1/34 Ashley St Reservoir , Victoria
Message
I strongly depose coal seam gas mining any where in Australia.
Eric Oliver
Object
Brandy Creek , Queensland
Message
There has been not enough scientific investigation into the long term effects of gas fracking, especially the implications for the Great Artesian Basin. To put this national resource at risk for the sake of extracting gas would be short sighted and set a dangerous precedent for future environmental management of our precious underground water supplies. There should be a national moratorium on gas fracking until such time as further longterm in depth scientific data is available to properly quantify the risks.
David Brehm
Object
Seaford , Victoria
Message
No coal seam gas!
Louise Higgins
Object
Texas , Queensland
Message
I am so scared for our future and our children's future
Name Withheld
Object
Newtown , New South Wales
Message
I object to coal seam gas mining and the Narrabri Gas Project. Local farmers don't want it and the Traditional Owners don't want it. Coal seam gas mining is dangerous for local water sources, contributes to climate change and threatens native wildlife.

Pagination

Project Details

Application Number
SSD-6456
EPBC ID Number
2014/7376
Assessment Type
State Significant Development
Development Type
Petroleum Extraction
Local Government Areas
Narrabri Shire
Decision
Approved
Determination Date
Decider
IPC-N

Contact Planner

Name
Rose-Anne Hawkeswood