Narrabri Gas

We must protect the Pilliga forest. I am completely against Santos' Narrabri Gas Project.

CSG has been proven to be extremely unpopular with local communities. It is important that the government respects this and does not railroad through communities and the environment. This project would extract over 35 billion litres of toxic groundwater and drill right through the recharge area of the Great Artesian Basin. It would generate tens of thousands of tonnes of salt waste for which Santos has still not offered any waste disposal plans. This gasfield would fragment over 90,000 hectares of the the Pilliga forest, industrialising the largest temperate woodland in eastern Australia. Australia is differentiated globally because of its nature. If Australia develops mining, it jeopardises tourism, its own society and its global reputation.

Please do not allow this environmental disaster to occur.
CSG should stay in the graound. The proof of it's detriment is already there.

Dear NSW Government,

I am writing to register my concern and opposition to this project.

The impacts on ground water as well as the volume of wastewater created are unacceptable in my view.

We want to have a prosperous and competitive state, but projects such as this have time and again shown lasting and detrimental consequences to local people and place.

Thanks for your time,

I am going to keep this very simple.

No body or corporation should be allowed to tamper with the Great Artesian Basin. The ramifications will be devastating.

There must be no drilling in the Pilliga. Santos has already had a discovered leak into the precious bore water. Australia has enough natural gas for its own use.
We cannot destroy valuable agricultural land & communities for short term gain.
The EPA's recent report calls for leadership & vision to provide practical Solutions for Australian Agriculture ,particularly in light of climate change.
Santos is destructive in the extreme.

All of this coal seam gas exploration is not going to help the people living in this area. It is not going to make the domestic supply of gas any cheaper. This is rape of the countryside by stealth, and the governments of the day just stand back and let this happen all over Australia

I passionately object to this assault on the Pilliga, the only beneficiaries being Santos and it's shareholders.
The way in which this is being conducted is deplorable. There are so many aspects of this which leave me gobsmacked at the sheer arrogance and brutality of attitude being demonstrated.
Please, I appeal to you, give some thought to the long term effects of this potential devastation of this Australian treasure. Please listen to those who are desperate to be heard - the traditional custodians of the land involved, and the farmers and other local community members. As the daughter of a farmer in Victoria, I feel their pain as they anticipate the impact not only their livelihood, but on the land which they love so much. If you could only comprehend how passionately farmers are connected to their environment you would see this differently.
And for those who are unable to speak out - the native wildlife who make this region their home. So much natural habitat has been decimated over past decades. This place is irreplaceable. By directly damaging vast areas of the Pilliga, and by impacting climate change via leakage of methane (not to mention the huge increase in likelihood of fires due to the presence of methane flares) Santos is showing absolute disregard for our spectacular world class environment here in Australia. I appeal to you to consider our beautiful native wildlife, our spectacular botanical wonders which make this area, and for the human beings who are so fiercely connected to the area.
Is it really worth ignoring all of this???

I am writing this submission against Santos' Narrabri Gas Project.
Human health and the general environment is clearly compromised by coal seam gas. The Narrabri Gas Project risks precious water sources, including the Great Australian Basin--Australia's largest groundwater aquifer. Thousands of tonnes of salt waste will result from the project. And, adding to this, the nation's premier optical astronomical observatory is at risk.

Yours sincerely
Megan Hills

I believe these gas wells would be extremely risky to the local environment and ground water systems and create a great deal of salt water waste for which there is no disposal plan. They would also be annoying and potentially hazardous for the neighbouring population. We should be redirecting our efforts and resources into searching for renewable energy solutions at this critical moment in history when the planet's climate is almost at the point of no return. Our future is at stake.

The Pilliga coal seam gas project is a disaster for our climate, local bushland and wildlife and for the Traditional Owners and farmers who call the region home.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Protect the environment/wildlife from toxic wastewater and the Great Artesian Basin.

we should be moving to renewables and not encouraging a proliferation of technologies which are going to effect our environment

To allow Fracking anywhere near a water table or forest is criminal. We have seen from experience that fracking i extremely destructive, rendering agricultural land useless, and poisoning water supplies. There is no second chance with the water table, once poisoned there is no way to repair the damage. This doe not even consider the amount of leakage of gass into the atmosphere. Put the money into renewable energy!

Australia needs to transit away from fossil fuel-based energy sources. Coal and coal seam gas are at the top of the list of those that must not be used. Australians are fortunate to have leaders in renewable technologies (e.g. UNSW photovoltaics) and well thought out plans (e.g. Beyond Zero Emissions) for immediately transitting to renewables. There are no socially viable excuses for not making this transition now.

The Pilliga should not be developed for CSG. There are so many good reasons why. The Wilderness Society is one of many organizations that has articulated clear reasoning for why CSG should not be developed in this area. Please consider all these reasons and use them to once and for all prevent SantosÂ' Narrabri Gas Project from going ahead.

The Pilliga forest is the largest intact woodland in eastern Australia, stretching across half a million hectares in north-western New South Wales. It is a unique ecological refuge, home to 25 nationally listed and 48 state-listed threatened species, such as the Pilliga Mouse, which rely on the Pilliga for survival.

The sandstone under the Pilliga is a vital recharge area for the Great Artesian Basin, and creeks that flow through the Pilliga provide clean water into the Murray Darling Basin. These water sources are the lifeblood of farming communities throughout the southeast and inland Australia.
- See more at: https://www.wilderness.org.au/final-push-pilliga#sthash.EYzobj7b.dpuf

Energy giant Santos has plans to industrialise the Pilliga with 850 coal seam gas wellsÂ--threatening this natural refuge, our precious groundwater, and the communities who rely on it. We also know that if weÂ're to maintain a safe climate and keep global warming below 2 degrees, projects like this cannot go ahead. - See more at: https://www.wilderness.org.au/final-push-pilliga#sthash.EYzobj7b.dpuf

SantosÂ' Narrabri Gas Project risks precious water sources, including the Great Australian BasinÂ--AustraliaÂ's largest groundwater aquifer.

1. 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 areasÂ--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 RiverÂ--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 waterÂ--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 Â`biodiversity hotspotsÂ' 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 pipelinesÂ--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 nationÂ'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 Â`dark sky parkÂ'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 PilligaÂ'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.
- See more at: https://www.wilderness.org.au/final-push-pilliga#sthash.pvb2D2gx.dpuf

I'm writing to urge the government to not allow CSG plans to proceed in the Pilliga region. express my concerns about plans for CSG in the Pilliga.

As you are well aware of the issues tabled below, I want to preface reasons with WHY I believe the only politically, socially and environmentally beneficial course is to not proceed with CSG.

I'm aware of the desperate need to augment existing gas supplies to maintain energy security. It seems only short term and quick fix options are being considered. I'm proposing a far more ambitious line of approach that would resolve many issues. The elephant in the room is the need to pursue and exploit alternative energy options. In so doing the government would create large infrastructure projects, employment, long term environmental, economic & social benefits, and the legacy of good governance.

Businesses, cannot do this alone. Government needs to step up and do what government does best...create strong leadership and facilitate the best community outcomes through clear inspired policy. This includes providing infrastructure to ensure good policy is pursued. Government and company partnerships are required to facilitate such a transition.

CSG is not pursuit of good policy, it's pursuit of short term expedient and extraordinarily destructive solutions. It will be a stain and the shame of this government, when the longterm consequences become ever more evident. I am urging the government to be accountable and responsible for our land and our future. It sounds melodramatic, and it is. These are the reasons I cannot support a government who allows such a project to proceed:

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 Faithfully,

Sandra Marshall

Mining in the Piliga would be a devastating decision. The project would extract over 35 billion litres of toxic groundwater and drill right through the recharge area of the Great Artesian Basin. It would generate tens of thousands of tonnes of salt waste for which Santos has still not offered any waste disposal plans. This gasfield would fragment over 90,000 hectares of the the Pilliga forest, industrialising the largest temperate woodland in eastern Australia

The project would extract over 35 billion litres of toxic groundwater and drill right through the recharge area of the Great Artesian Basin. It would generate tens of thousands of tonnes of salt waste for which Santos has still not offered any waste disposal plans. This gasfield would fragment over 90,000 hectares of the the Pilliga forest, industrialising the largest temperate woodland in eastern Australia.

We need strong Government and laws to protect the environment, allowing Santos to operate in these areas in my opinion are acts of vandalism which can not be reversed.

I object to this project, for so many reasons. Some of my concerns are listed below (in no particular order):

- The Narrabri Gas Project has a long history of spills and leaks of toxic CSG waterÂ--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 barium. 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.

- 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.

- The Pilliga is a haven for threatened wildlife.
The Pilliga is one of 15 nationally listed Â`biodiversity hotspotsÂ' 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 pipelinesÂ--damaging vital habitat and threatening the survival of endangered species.

- 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.

- 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 coordination. These impacts have been documented in human populations nearby to existing gasfields in Queensland, Sydney and in America.

- 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.

Yours sincerely
L. de Oliveira

THE CSG INDUSTRY HAS BEEN THE CAUSE OF TOO MUCH INTRUSION INTO THE LIVES OF RURAL AUSTRALIANS ALREADY.
IT HAS ON NUMEROUS DOCUMENTED OCCASIONS POLLUTED EXISTING SURFACE WATER AND LAND IN WHAT HAS BEEN PRIME FOOD GROWING AREAS.

INSTEAD, THE GOVERNMENTS MUST INVEST MUCH MUCH MORE IN INDUSTRIES DEVELOPING SOLAR AND WIND ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES.

QUESTION TO THE PANEL: if this CSG extraction is as safe, non invasive and non polluting as we have been led to believe, then, will you invite Santos to drill a gas well in your back yard?