Narrabri Gas

I have lived in Sydney all my life, but have travelled extensively throughout Australia. I have a good understanding of the importance of the Great Artesian Basin. What I cannot understand is why governments are allowing the possible destruction of this natural resource. I implore that permission to drill for gas in the Pilliga not be granted.

I object to this proposal which has the following threats and does not appear to be taking appropriately 'water tight' environmental precautions and monitoring and reporting measures to instill appropriate confidence:

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.

To whom it may concern,
Australia is a great and bio diverse country. There are other ways of creating energy without letting Multi national companies destroy our beautiful country. Invest in renewable energy.
Thank you.

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.


¹SoilFutures Consulting 2014, Great Artesian Basin Recharge Systems and Extent of Petroleum and Gas Leases. http://www.gabpg.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/GAB-Report1.pdf
²http://www.smh.com.au/environment/santos-coal-seam-gas-project-contaminates-aquifer-20140307-34csb.html
³BirdLife International (2017) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Pilliga http://www.birdlife.org
⁴Marion Carey Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA), Air pollution from coal seam gas may put public health at risk The Conversation, November 20, 2012
⁵https://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/oct/21/siding-spring-observatory-threat-coal-seam-gas-light-pollution
⁶http://darksky.org/first-dark-sky-park-in-australia-designated/

- See more at: https://www.wilderness.org.au/final-push-pilliga#sthash.BLAmSkyh.dpuf

I object to coal seam gas which harms public water supplies for the profit of private companies. I object that insufficient public information and discussion has occurred and that the poor record of previous coal seam gas exploration has not amounted to public enquiry and has not prevented this happening any more. It is a disgrace that public resources are to be exploited by a few and left in a non-pristine state.I object to the PIliiga being mined at all due to its significance to the Australian People.

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.
- See more at: https://www.wilderness.org.au/final-push-pilliga#sthash.pZcknGnX.dpuf

Mining and drilling is extremely damaging to the environment and to even think of drilling in the Pilliga is madness. Just like the Great Barrier Reef, the Great Artesian Basin is a unique part of Australia. We must look after the country. This is a very short sited project that will have a devastating impact on the health of the land, water, stock, people and the communities of the Pilliga.

Dear Stakeholders,

We hear from proponents that all is great, safe and environmental consequences will be mitigated to worlds best standards.
We hear from Environmentalists that the consequences are
possible catastrophe.
I suggest that the drilling, toxic cocktail of multiple chemicals,
the amount of contaminated water needed to be disposed of
and the amount of roads and pipelines above ground to extract coal seam gas is reason enough to stop the project.
from going ahead. Open cut coal mines have been around for
long enough to fully know the environmental effects. They may not please everyone, but they are visible, enforceable
and really do employ hundreds of workers and contractors
who then support local towns.
Coal seam gas is the opposite to stated aims of employment
and scrutiny. The long term consequences are not known and could be extremely detrimental to water quality of underground supplies. Coal seam gas will be divisive as access is forced upon many landholders who have to cede
right to access and wear chemical spills, toxic wastes being on their land, where they grow our food we eat. Know that I strongly oppose coal seam gas and to my disbelief would rather support traditional mining techniques, because of the
ability of Local Government Authorities to manage compliance. Under ground there are none until it is to late
possibly for many generations to come. It is simply not worth the risks to the future.
Sincerely, David Post

To whom it may concern,
This submission has been written to draw attention to the unacceptable impacts of Santos current plan with light pollution from their upcoming 850 gaswells and flares near Siding Spring Observatory. It is a simple solution, as recommended by the NSW EPA to enclose all flares, not just for emissions and cleaner burning, but also to reduce the amount of unnecessary light pollution from giant flames lighting the night sky.
Siding Spring Observatory is Australia's only unique science research facility using the largest optical telescopes for astrophysics and astronomy. First established in Coonabarabran NSW, on the Warrumbungle Ranges in the 1960's it was built here because of the dark skies in this region. While there is historic value of this site from telescopes established over 50 years ago, this observatory hosts the largest optical telescopes from national and international universities and research entities. Not only hosting the largest, this site hosts the second, third, fourth, fifth largest telescopes etc in Australia, playing a key role in science research across the Southern Hemisphere. Over 50 telescopes are listed across the site being used by over 30 universities, institutions and private businesses using cutting edge technology, with some of the most advanced telescopes being used is astrophysical research. Future plans include another 50 telescopes to be built on site within the next decade. All this is reliant on keeping the dark sky dark! If this area was to lose the dark sky, this observatory would not be replicated again in Australia, but moved elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere.
From 2013 onwards light emissions from the Santos gasfield exploration have increased to the point that, just the Bibblewindi large flare and unmanned facility alone, creates more light pollution than the entire town of nearby Coonabarabran with over 3500 people residing there. Santos have listed plans to triple the amount of pilot flares and double the amount of large flares including constructing 50 metre high flare stacks, with an average 30 metre high flame above it. Nowhere do they list the EPAs recommended practice to enclose flares, as has been done in NSW areas such as Gloucester. Enclosing flares is the only acceptable mitigation to protect the scientific community from the unnecessary light pollution they plan to emit. Siding Spring Observatory already has to deal with light pollution from existing mining and regional towns. Even Sydney itself, from over 400kms away can affect research from its light glow. Santos are a lot closer than this. Every bit of extra light pollution is making it more difficult to continue the leading scientific research, and while each pollute in different levels, most consider they aren't doing any damage. But it's the combination with the existing light sources, adding a cumulative effect which is becoming worse as more pollution is created.
In summary, this is a simple fix in this case, as while Santos building infrastructure is willing to comply with shielded lights for buildings, they need to go a step further and enclose all current and future flares as the NSW EPA recommend. It is the only acceptable solution.
Thanks,
di klein

Serious Objection -SIDING SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL OBSERVATORY

SANTOS has lied about the number of gas flares in its 850 well gas field and refuses to shield these to protect the night sky.
This submission has been written to draw attention to the unacceptable impacts of Santos current plan with light pollution from their upcoming 850 gaswells and flares near Siding Spring Observatory. It is a simple solution, as recommended by the NSW EPA to enclose all flares, not just for emissions and cleaner burning, but also to reduce the amount of unnecessary light pollution from giant flames lighting the night sky.
Siding Spring Observatory is Australia's only unique science research facility using the largest optical telescopes for astrophysics and astronomy. First established in Coonabarabran NSW, on the Warrumbungle Ranges in the 1960's it was built here because of the dark skies in this region. While there is historic value of this site from telescopes established over 50 years ago, this observatory hosts the largest optical telescopes from national and international universities and research entities. Not only hosting the largest, this site hosts the second, third, fourth, fifth largest telescopes etc in Australia, playing a key role in science research across the Southern Hemisphere. Over 50 telescopes are listed across the site being used by over 30 universities, institutions and private businesses using cutting edge technology, with some of the most advanced telescopes being used is astrophysical research. Future plans include another 50 telescopes to be built on site within the next decade. All this is reliant on keeping the dark sky dark! If this area was to lose the dark sky, this observatory would not be replicated again in Australia, but moved elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere.
From 2013 onwards light emissions from the Santos gasfield exploration have increased to the point that, just the Bibblewindi large flare and unmanned facility alone, creates more light pollution than the entire town of nearby Coonabarabran with over 3500 people residing there. Santos have listed plans to triple the amount of pilot flares and double the amount of large flares including constructing 50 metre high flare stacks, with an average 30 metre high flame above it. Nowhere do they list the EPAs recommended practice to enclose flares, as has been done in NSW areas such as Gloucester. Enclosing flares is the only acceptable mitigation to protect the scientific community from the unnecessary light pollution they plan to emit. Siding Spring Observatory already has to deal with light pollution from existing mining and regional towns. Even Sydney itself, from over 400kms away can affect research from its light glow. Santos are a lot closer than this. Every bit of extra light pollution is making it more difficult to continue the leading scientific research, and while each pollute in different levels, most consider they aren't doing any damage. But it's the combination with the existing light sources, adding a cumulative effect which is becoming worse as more pollution is created.
In summary, this is a simple fix in this case, as while Santos building infrastructure is willing to comply with shielded lights for buildings, they need to go a step further and enclose all current and future flares as the NSW EPA recommend. It is the only acceptable solution OR NO GAS PROJECT AT ALL!
Thanks,
J.Gilbert
Lambton

For the sake of future generations do not permit the destruction of the Pilliga scrub. When the environment is destroyed, when the area is poisoned, will the government be happy then? Love of the almighty dollar is a short sighted fix to a long term environmental disaster.

Please do not allow Santos to proceed. They have an appalling infamous reputation for plunder with no remorse or recompense. Although the financial gain may be attractive now please consider the environmental impacts and what sort of legacy we leave for generations to come. Please consider all living creatures who need clean air and water and habitat. Divest of fossil fuel in all its forms. the land belongs to all of us -as our politicians you are guardians -GUARD. Thank you.

I object to the Narrabri Gas Project.
I am someone who has visited the Pilliga many times and believe that it must be protected from the harmful effects of CSG mining.

In addition to being uniquely beautiful, the area is a biodiversity hotspot and therefore it is not a sensible decision for our state to risk having this diversity impacted by possible environment damage from the activities of highly contentious CSG mining.

In a world struggling to address climate change, new CSG fields add to the levels of methane in the atmosphere - something we cannot afford to be doing anywhere, let alone while risking such a cherished environment.

Furthermore, the risk is simply too high to the waters of the Murray Darling and the Great Artesian Basin.

Due to these environment concerns, I cannot believe that a reasonable person would believe this project is in the best interests of our state. I believe the best approach with CSG mining, especially in areas as valued as these is to accept a 'low bar' of risk.

Kind regards.

There are many reasons to be opposed to the Santos' Narrabri Gas Project. My main concern is the impact on our waterways. Water is Australia's most precious resource, especially in agricultural areas such as Narrabri. This project has the potential to impact two of Australia's most important water resources major water resources: The Great Artesian Basin and the Murray-Darling Basin. These natural waterways are crucial for our agricultural industry. Without clean water our farmers will have nothing. The impact of CSG drilling on waterways is not well understood and there have been obvious and damaging impacts to waterways both at Australia (such as the Condamine River) and in the USA. Santos has already contaminated a freshwater aquifer in the Pilliga region, with uranium at levels 20 times higher than safe drinking water guidelines, as well as lead, aluminium, arsenic and barium. There is also an issue around how the salt waste will be managed, which can significantly impact on waterways. Risking our agricultural industry which has sustained our country for over 200 years seems like a foolish endeavour for limited short term gains that CSG would provide.

The land itself is an important ecological area, and is listed as one of 15 nationally listed `biodiversity hotspots' and is an important bird area. It is home to many threatened species, including the Koala, Spotted-tailed Quoll, Black-striped Wallaby, Eastern Pygmy-possum, Pilliga Mouse and South-eastern Long-eared Bat. The gas field will fragment the area, which will have a significant negative impact on wildlife.

Additionally, the Narrabri Gas Project is not supported by the local community. Surveys have shown that 96% of the community oppose this project. Furthermore, the project is not supported by the Traditional custodians, the Gamilaraay People.

In light of the intense summer the region has experienced - with many record breaking temperatures - it is important to note the impact that CSG has on climate change. Recent studies have shown that a significant amount of leakage occurs from the wells. This is significant, as methane is a potent greenhouse gas, 24 times more potent than CO².

This is undoubtedly a short-sighted project which is unsupported by the local community. It has potential to severely impact two of Australia's most precious water resources. CSG has been known to significantly impact on waterways and it is not worth the risk!

The Philliga State Forest is a natural habitat for numerous wild animals especially our endangered koalas. Allowing coal seam gas mining will not only kill the forest it will also kill off the native animals including the endangered ones.
The surrounding farming areas will be endangered by killing off the crops and livestock, if this keeps happening we will end up having to import all of our food reducing the quality and destroying the economy.
The contamination to the water table will destroy clean water supply to the farms and towns in the area and a long way from this area.
PLEASE, Give our future generations a country with life don't allow coal seam gas mining and a wasted land!

i do not want any more gas or mining in such delicate areas. for the sake of the fauna and flora and the custodians of the land I stand for one of the many who vote and thereby govern all government guidelines to not allow Santos to operate at all.

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 ,and what's more most of South Australia and Adelaide would not exist as we know it today without the Murray darling river system. Lets be rid of CSG mining while we still have a country fit to live in. Yours sincerely, Rick Shulver

The Piliga region needs our protection, not CSG activities. The government must listen to the people of Australia who are against coal seam gas exploration - particularly in environmentally and culturally-sensitive regions like the Piliga.

Dear Commissioners/ Minister,

I submit to you my objection to the listed application to develop and operate 850 Coal seam gas wells at the location listed, Namely: The Pilliga region, Narrabri NSW.
My reasons are simple and when read by any reasonable person aware of the current general scientific concerns surrounding the following points:
a.) Potential, irreversible pollution and degradation of the local water table, as well as the same to surface water bodies connected with such water tables.
b.) Potential for fugitive methane emissions arising from disturbance created through Hydraulic fracturing process but also through built, well head infrastructure.
c.) The difficulty in remediation of the above points.
d.) The difficulty in guaranteeing the owner/developer will bear all costs associated with the remediation of the above, at some point in the future.

I sincerely and humbly ask that you consider my points made and in accordance with your own knowledge and in good faith refuse this application, or, if granting permission, kindly address each of my points made above, in a way that the any reasonable person can understand, so as to refute their validity; being that if they are indeed valid points, to then also address, in the same manner, why indeed you have chosen to grant permission in the face of this validity.

Thank you for hearing me.

Neil Castlehow - Common Citizen of Australia

I am passionately against running the risk of pollution as experienced in similar projects elsewhere and for the reasons set out by the Nature Conservation Council of NSW. The use of fossil fuels is also contributing to global warming - a threat to life on earth.

I'm against Coal Seam Gas drilling in Australia. I think we deserve a say in protecting our environment from new and potentially dangerous mining techniques that are not necessary to improving our electricity network