Narrabri Gas

Please do not allow this CSG exploration. It will not turn a profit, not even in the short term. We (as Australians) only need look to America and here, on our own soil, to see what a short sighted idea CSG is. CSG damages our valuable under ground water supply. CSG will damage the soil profile, another incredibly valuable resource. Local farmers oppose this, farming is our greatest contribution to GDP, don't compromise this countries strength. The salt waste from this project will wreck the environment. It will make the area more susceptible to bush fires.
CSG contributes to global warming. CSG is damaging to human health, and animal health. There are threatened native animals in this area. Any CSG exploration and mining would be excessively damaging. The local observatory would be made redundant from the dust and fire flares of CSG. Thank you and best regards
Anya Rowlands

Dear Minister,
I am agains the implementation of the Narrabri Gas Project at this juncture as I believe the full environmental impact on the Great Artesian Basin is not yet understood.

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.

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 coordination⁴. These impacts have been documented in human populations nearby to existing gasfields in Queensland, Sydney and in America.

Australia's 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I urge you to stop this whole project

Santos' plans for 850 coal seam gas wells in the Pilliga forest have finally been released to the public. It has taken them over 7,000 pages to try and justify this environmental disaster, but they won't convince many.

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.

Knock it back, it's a totally silly idea

I object to the Pilliga being decimated by drilling 850 wells for CSG extraction.
Precious water sources from the Great Artesian Basin (GAB) and Murray Darling Basin are put at risk.
The GAB is almost entirely contained within the Pilliga East Forest.
Creeks flowing into the Namoi R. which is part of the Murray Darling Basin are vulnerable to contamination from drilling fluid spills and salty treated water produced by the proposed 850 wells.
Hundreds of cultural sites and songlines and stories connecting the Gamilaraay people to the forest and ground water will be seriously affeacted and the Gamilaraay are dead against the proposal.
Community surveys show 96% opposition to CSG.
Pilliga is a haven for wildlife and vital for the survival of the likes of Koala, spotted-tailed Quoll, Black-striped Wallaby, Eastern Pygmy Possum etc. It is home to er 200 Bird Species and known internationally as an Important Bird Area .
Gas pipes fragment 95,000 hectares of Pillaga with well pads, roads, water and gas pipelines damaging vital habitat and threatening survival of endangered species.
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I object to the Santos proposal on the grounds that it will increase greenhouse gas emissions and risks contaminating artesian water.

I wish to submit my opposition to the Narrabri Gas project because of the effects 850 CSG wells would have on the Pilliga State Forest.

Such effects include:

1. Threats to already threatened native animals in NSW. Currently, the Pilliga is a safe haven for threatened wildlife and one of 15 nationally listed `biodiversity hotspots'. It is vital to the survival of species like the koala, spotted-tailed quoll, black-striped wallaby, eastern pygmy-possum, pilliga mouse and south-eastern long-eared Bat.

2. Increase in greenhouse emissions at a time of climate crisis. Coal seam gas's major component is methane and it is over 70 times more powerful than CO² in its effect on global warming. CSG fields experience leakage of methane during the production, transport, processing and use of coal seam gas.

3. CSG fields risk water contamination. The Narrabri gasfield threaten two of the most important water resources in NSW: 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. Threats to the traditional country of the Gamilaraay people. 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.

NSW has the capacity to increase renewable energy production by a significant amount, yet it has one of the lowest in the nation. It would be wiser at this critical time to concentrate on increasing the generation of clean energy and look after all our futures in the long term rather than go for short-term goals that do not benefit land, water, people and native fauna and flora.

coal seam gas wrecks the environment, you should start and thinking about protecting our native habitat and bring in a native tree protection act to try and save what koalas we have left, all man thinks of is money, koalas are far more valuable than money will ever be, wake up Australia

I strongly object to the Narrabri Gas Project. I cannot let projects like this go ahead without saying no to a project like this. People Governments and Organisations that agree to such are project must be insane.

I oppose the Narrabri Gas Project because it places at risk valuable water sources, including the Great Australian Basin (GAB, Australia's largest groundwater aquifer) and the Murray-Darling Basin.
I farm organically, so I have daily contact with the essential nature of clean, plentiful water. To place any waterway at risk of contamination by drilling fluids or produced water - let alone major sources like the GAB and the Murray-Darling system - is a blatant transfer of costs and risks from mining companies to Australian local communities.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Sarah Antill BSc (Hons1 USyd) Inorg Chem., DPhil (Oxon) Phys Geog.

850 csg wells in the Pillaga forest and the extraction of 35 billion litres of toxic groundwater, drilling at the heart of the Great Artesian Basin.This is the plan put forward by Santos without including what they will do with the tens of thousands of salt waste generated by the project.This would destroy much of the largest temperate woodland in Eastern Australia. Surely our elected representatives cannot allow such a precious natural environment to be desecrated in such a fashion?

I oppose the Narrabri Gas Project for many different reasons. Coal seam gas has a proven history of effecting vital underground water aquifers and reserves. We should not be threatening one of the greatest resources we have which is the great artesian basin for short term gas supplies. This is a ridiculous idea. We should be investing in renewable energy sources not poisoning public land and water to obtain gas supplies for private profit. This is short sighted and deeply flawed logic.
The risks of coal seam gas extraction are well documented and far outweigh the benefits that a few will receive leaving local communities and government to clean up the damage and foot the bill for environmental devastation, destruction and pollution caused by this project. We need to be more clever in our approach to meeting our energy needs and think renwables, that is the direction the world is heading in. Invest in renewables, not dangerous polluting technology like coal seam gas.

Dear Planning & Environment Department,

I say a flat out NO to Santos's Narrabri gas project.
Santos claim that the gas from this project will be for use in NSW industry and home but nothing could be further from the truth.
Santos are currently going bankrupt, with their debt maturing in 2019.
In the run up to that they are frantically trying to reduce their debt load, which stood at US$4.3 billion in November 2016.
Their LNG plant at Gladstone is loss making at current oil prices, and will continue to be so with no rise in oil prices ever to happen again.
Thus Santos's only plan is to sell "assets" so they can reduce this debt.
The Narrabri project is one of these, and the only reason they put in the EIS is so they can get it approved, so they can then sell it.
NSW will never see any gas out of Narrabri.
What's more, if this project is approved, and then sold, and against all economic sense the 850 wells are drilled, that would cost approximately A$3 billion, which Santos, nor any other gas player, has available to invest in a dud project.
And clearly, the pilot wells already drilled and infrastructure built at Narrabri have caused considerable damage.
Rather than approving this eco-destructive nightmare, the state government need to cancel it now, and order Santos to clean up the mess they have already made.
There is gas aplenty in Bass Strait which will provide NSW with all the gas it needs, and cheaply at that, in perpetuity, so the only logical step is for the NSW state government to cancel the Narrabri CSG project now.
Renewables have progressed so far now that base load power issues are a thing of the past. The voters of NSW want to see solar, wind and hydro projects become the norm in our society. We are sick of seeing sick families stuck in gasfields unable to sell their properties and move away from the carcinogenic industry of coal seam gas encroaching upon their daily lives.

I have seen first-hand on many occasions the degradation of land and polluted, unusable water sources as a direct result of this self-regulated cowboy industry.

Please save the land, air and water for our future generations...for the kiddies.

Nanna hugs,
Louise Somerville

I wish to express my strong objection to the proposal of Santos to dig 850 wells in the Pilliga region for coal gas extraction.
I grew up in Collarenebri and am familiar with the Pilliga Scrub, an area of temperate forest which is currently so large and relatively untouched as to be a valuable reserve for a diverse variety of wildlife, including some endangered species.
The proposal will cause widespread destruction of the ecosystem by fragmentation, and disturbance due to extensive road construction, development, and pollution.
This company has a poor record in terms of environmental management. There is grave danger to the Artesian system, and no explanation of how the large quantity of salt, which will be a by-product, will be dealt with.
The burden on local communities will be dire.
All this to extract a product which will contribute to climate change and damage to the planet.
Some things are more important than monetary gain and these include the future of the environment and our country,

Coal seam gas exploration is not worth the environmental risk to the water tables.We can live without gas but cant live without clean water

My family have farmed the area for generations and are concerned that the environment will be damaged. Also why do big corporations get there own set of rules when it comes to violating protected land. Who are the first people of the pilliga? The kamillaroi people, has there been any consultation with this community? I'm completely against making short term profit for long term environmental damage, With no long term economic prospects.

I am opposed to the destruction of such a significant woodland being turned into a gas field there is no need to be doing this when there are other options we live in a country where we have abundance of sunshine (solar), we are girted by sea (wave technology), and amazingly it gets windy (turbines) which can be drums, or look like flowers, why do we need to turn our country in holes in the ground and pollute our aquifers.

Incredibly methane is also produced from sewerage so why instead of having waste plants in major cities are we not utilising this waste and turning it into gas?Then there's rubbish dumps wow how advance would we be. Then we wouldn't be destroying nature we'd be using our waste that already is in abundance e.g. have a look at Oslo they already do this and save their city dwellers thousands by offering free buses - wow you really don't have to be a genius. Or the small http://inhabitat.com/ancient-italian-town-completely-powered-by-renewable-energy/ put that in your pipe and smoke it while you're mulling over whether it's a good decision then take a drive to Bulga and see which view you'd prefer.

You may be aware that current research has found that leakage from coal seam gas extraction and transmission means that coal seam gas is at least, if not more polluting than coal, especially in the near term, being many a more times polluting greenhouse gas than co2.
Additionally, the facts that drilling will occur in an rare area of great natural importance and will have unpredictable adverse affects on the artesian basin should make this project a non-starter, given the current disturbing effects of and projections for climate change.
It is immoral that short term profits now should trump the future of our children, which looks more and more insecure

I would like to lodge my objections to Santos CSG fields in the Pilliga forest.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 gas field would fragment over 90,000 hectares of the Pilliga forest, industrialising the largest temperate woodland in eastern Australia.
This should not go ahead. It is important not to pollute our groundwater.

I am very much opposed to the NSW Government,s plans of introducing 850 CSG drilling sites into The Pilliga Forest. Not only is there a grave risk of contaminating the precious water source of The Great Artesian Basin, but also the ramifications upon the health of the surrounding farming communities, and their families, whose very livelihood depends upon the quality of the soil and water. Not to mention Australia,s unique native wildlife, which we have a responsibility to protect.
Does this NSW Government really want to condemn us to such a toxic legacy?