Narrabri Gas

I wish to oppose the Pilliga CSG project and make the following submissions:-

1. It is safe 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.

2. 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.

3. It risks our clean water
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.

4. 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.

5. Bushfire risk will rise
Methane flare stacks up to 50m high would be running day and night, even on total fire ban days. The Pilliga is already prone to severe bushfires, this project will increase the risk of ignition.

Renewable energy is the only sustainable way forward for Australia particularly as the impact of climate change will be extreme.
csg is a furphy and the Australian people are being fooled by corporate greed.
Instead of subsidising the fossil fuel industry and propping up short term non solutions like coal.seam.gas.
Please stop gas mining... and move into the 21st centuray.

Dear Pilliga Gas Project,

I object to the Pilliga proposal because the Pilliga is a Hotspot for indigenous flora and fauna; the underground water supply will be put at risk; there are Aboriginal cultural sites there; use of fossil fuels endangers our climate and the constant, high flames will increase the risk of wild fires

This project should not proceed.

Environmental and ground water vandalism is NO excuse for energy extraction from the environment. Seriously, do some work with the current technology available in renewables.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I strongly object to the Narrabri Gas Project on the following grounds:

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.

Yours very sincerely and respectfully,
Carol M. Kommerstad-Reiche

Dear Sir/Madam,

It is my firm conviction, based on all of the freely available data and a goodly slab of common sense, that coal-seam gas exploration will destroy the Pilliga forest and initiate long term ecological problems. It will also further entrench the deep loss of faith a critical mass of the Australian public now has in the concept of a political class who seek to do the best for the wider community.

Elected representatives in Government,especially in Sydney dont have any regard for people in the country with their nose in the''trough'' decisions.Public servants giving access to our land to overseas investors without any consideration for the future.Barnaby Joyce- Cotton,Kevin Humphries-Cotton,Nial Blair,-Mismanagement of water.Bandaid Blair should step down from his position immediately with his decision making errors.Wentworth-Broken Hill Pipeline is a $600,000 blunder from this ''post turtle''.His Emergancy Bore Water Project at Menindee was a $100,000 flop.A desperate under achiever.

The Pilliga is a unique bushland area and biodiversity hotspot for animals and birds. Any mining in the area would destroy the environment and would also threaten the water supply in the Murray- Darling basin and the Great Artesian Basin. I believe the Traitiinal Custodians are also opposed.

Dear Sir or Madam:

I object to this project and believe it should be rejected.

It will extract over 35 billion litres of toxic groundwater, much of it in the first five years. This water will be treated and in the early years will generate tens of thousands of tonnes of salt, for which there is no safe disposal plan.

It will clear close to 1,000 hectares of the Pilliga Forest, fragmenting the largest temperate woodland in New South Wales, home to unique wildlife.

It will cause significant diversion of water from a recharge aquifer of the Great Artesian Basin, which is a water resource relied upon by rural communities across western NSW.
It will lead to large deliberate and fugitive emissions of methane, adding to climate change.

It will cause more trauma to the regional Aboriginal community because the area of impact is crucially important to the spiritual, cultural and social life of Gamilaraay people.

It is not justified: Santos' own coal seam gas export activities in Queensland have caused gas prices to rise and supply to become unpredictable. NSW should respond to this by investing in more reliable and ultimately cheaper renewable energy, not by letting Santos inflict more environmental, social and economic harm.

It will cause economic upheaval in Narrabri and put agricultural industries at risk, as well as causing light pollution that will ruin the dark night sky needed by the internationally renowned Siding Spring Observatory.

Coal seam gas is harmful to health. Neither the NSW Government nor Santos have investigated or dealt with the serious health effects of coal seam gas now appearing in peer-reviewed research in the United States. I urge the Government to reject this project and make the Great Artesian Basin recharge offlimits to gas mining.

I OBJECT TO THE PROPOSED NARRABRI GASFIELD

BECAUSE
1 IT WILL USE AND DAMAGE ESSENTIAL WATER SUPPLIES AFFECTING BOTH AGRICULTURE AND NUMEROUS COMMUNITIES IN NSW
2 IT WILL RELEASE TOXIC EMISSIONS WHICH ARE PROVEN TO BE HARMFUL TO HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT
3 IT WILL FURTHER TRAUMATISE ABORIGINAL PEOPLE BY IGNORING THEIR SPIRITUAL, SOCIAL AND ULTURAL NEEDS
4 IT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO CLIMATE CHANGE NSW SHOULD RATHER INVEST IN RENEWABLE ENERGY

Coal Seem Gas should be outlawed!
We have enough gas without having to destroy our land and water.
This is an outrage!

Cease ALL coal seam gas activities AS WELL AS any and all other mining activity that impacts in any way, shape or form with our WATER, our FARMLAND, our AIR, our HEALTH, and the health of all other living things. There MUST be ZERO mining activity ANYWHERE near where we live, and ZERO anywhere near where we source our life essentials. WE INSIST on FULL AND COMPLETE DISCLOSURE of ANY AND ALL who seek to invest in, to promote, and to otherwise to profit from Coal and also from Coal seam gas. This is fair enough.... given that they seek to know all about us in order to intimidate us into submission; its way past time that the boot was on the other foot. Coal is a lethal toxin; it and its derivatives including csg are 100% toxic.

I oppose the development of these gas fields for the following reasons.

The area is a safehaven 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.

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.

Our clean water is at risk.
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.

The Gamilaraay Traditional Custodians are opposed to this development.
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.

Our overall bushfire risk will rise.
Methane flare stacks up to 50m high would be running day and night, even on total fire ban days. The Pilliga is already prone to severe bushfires, this project will increase the risk of ignition.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I wish to make known to you my opposition to the Pilliga SG Project. There are many reasons why I oppose this project, and I have listed some of these below, but my primary reason for opposition is fear.

I have lived in fear of CSG mining for many years now. I am a land owner in northern NSW and am aware of the great community concern here that CSG mining will destroy our lifestyles, our land and our health, not to mention our land values. I have relatives that live in SE Qld and I have seen first hand the devastation CSG mining creates, and the lack of care of the mining companies. I am following the lack of progress of the Qld government in chasing the mining companies to keep their contracts and restore the land they have destroyed. They won't of course, and this is the problem. I am scared that our governments, State and Federal, will do nothing to protect the well being of its citizens. The proof is already there.


If my fears don't concern you, here are 5 other very robust reasons to oppose the Pilliga CSG project:

1. It is safehaven 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.

2. 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.

3. It risks our clean water
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.

4. 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.

5. Bushfire risk will rise
Methane flare stacks up to 50m high would be running day and night, even on total fire ban days. The Pilliga is already prone to severe bushfires, this project will increase the risk of ignition.

Regards,

Georgie Wilbe

I oppose the Pilliga CSG project for the following reasons:

1) 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.

2) CSG risks our clean water. 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.

3) It is a safe haven for threatened wildlife. The Pilliga is one of 15 nationally listed "biodiversity hotsopots" 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.

4) The Gamilaraay Traditional Custodians are strongly opposed & have told Santos they don't want their country sacrificed to a coal seam gas field.

5) The risk of bushfires will be greatly exacerbated due to the Methan flare stacks, up to 50m high, which run day & night, including on days with total fire bans. This area is already bushfire prone.

This proposed CSG is totally inappropriate.

I oppose coal seam gas extraction from the Pilliga area for the following reasons:

1. I believe CSG extraction is not only a "risk" to our environment and health, but that it creates immediate and possibly irreparable damage via long-term contamination to our water resources in the Great Artesian Basin and the Murray-Darling Basin, and to the threatened native species identified within the Pilliga. I don't see how CSG extraction and these precious things can reasonably coexist.

2. Opposition by the Gamilaraay. The traditional custodians are opposed to it, and I am opposed to it along with them.

3. Bushfire risk from methane flares, in an already bushfire prone area.

4. I am angry about the ongoing and blatant pandering to big business by the NSW government at the expense of environmental and community concerns, as evidenced by changes to development laws that further favour developers whilst undervaluing community concern (e.g. the removal of environmental approvals for "state significant" DA's). I am concerned that corrupt dealings between "responsible" government individuals and businesses such as Santos is being covered up. That possibility is one of the few ways I can see such developments getting through what should be "strict safeguards" making sense.

Thank you for this opportunity to comment.

Yours sincerely,

We must protect the wildlife that we have left. Humans in our society must go with less to leave something behind for our grand children and all forms of wildlife which certainly do not have the numbers that humans now have living on the Mother Earth.

I object to the destruction of prime agricultural land with the unnecessary coal seam gas extraction. This method of gas extraction has been scientifically proven to decimate land and make it impossible for reclamation. The destruction of water acquirers by this method is irreversible.

I oppose CSG wells generally, but specifically for the Pilliga State Forest. I oppose CSG wells for the following key reasons:
First, their contribution to global warming. Not only does the ultimate use of the gas contribute emissions, but fugitive emissions from CSG wells are documented and are also a concern.
Second, the risk of chemical contamination of the groundwater in the area posed by the CSG wells is unacceptable. Examples of such contamination around the world is again well documented. Given the importance of this area to Australia's food supply, comprising crops & livestock, this is not a risk that is sensible to take.
Third, from what I can glean, the traditional owners of the land are opposed to this development. This on its' own ought be sufficient in a just world to prevent the project from going ahead.
We have more gas resources in Australia than we can possibly ever use. Before any new gas well project goes ahead, we ought sensibly to ask whether this gas could instead be obtained from existing reserves currently earmarked for export to other countries. We must balance the risk & reward to the entire country, rather than to the limited interests of mining proponents.

I have read many publications and scientific papers on the general field of coal seam gas extraction, particularly the evidence for significant fugitive emissions during CSG production and pipeage. I am aware of the energy costs involved in its liquifaction and further transport. It is, on both counts, not a "clean" fuel - and little better than coal. As an ecologist I am aware of the massive environmental damage involved in setting up these wells and additional infrastructure. Well failure and well rehabilitation are also long term issues re permanent/ semipermanent destructive contamination of aquifers. I am disgusted at the continuing refusal of this government to recognise the rights of our indigenous people. The following 5 points are well made and have my whole hearted support. I am 83 and have witnessed too much destruction of our natural world by greedy vested interests. I am totally opposed to the Santos Pilliga project. Oh yes, and Santos hasn't provided any real solution for the "safe" disposal of the massive amounts of salt that will be produced.

1.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.

2. 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.

3. It risks our clean water
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.

4. 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.

5. Bushfire risk will rise
Methane flare stacks up to 50m high would be running day and night, even on total fire ban days. The Pilliga is already prone to severe bushfires, this project will increase the risk of ignition.