Narrabri Gas

I strongly support the preservation of the Pilliga Forest in the North West region of NSW. I am appalled by the prospect of a compliant government allowing this unique woodland area to be turned into a wasteland of oil wells, environmental pollution & dead trees. To do this knowingly & willfully would be morally & intellectually bankrupt. Come on State Government of New South Wales, stand up for our rural communities, beekeepers, environment, native flora & fauna. Once it's destroyed, even rehabilitation can't restore what has been carelessly lost.

NO NO NO NO NO.
expensive gas in Australia.
Export to China
Shit on the local community
Poison the water table
Exploit right now bugger the future.
My greed your greed lets wallow in more greed
Environmental vandals seek support of immoral politcians
We dont care for the land so why shoul you
Please get reborn on this planet, or if your next life is off planet I hope to be on a different planet to the adjudicators of consensual insanity

* the methane is dangerous for the climate
* it is way too greater risk to the precious water resources
* the Gamilaraay are the Custodians and they say No for wise reasons and this needs to be respected
* there are many threatend species to which the Pilliga is home and they will be in danger

I wish to object to the Santos' Narrabri Gas Project. I believe it will have an unacceptable impact on the Pillaga Forest, damaging an important woodland habitat for threatened and endangered species.

I work in food retail, and see that preserving our artesian water is essential to have a healthy economy and healthy food supply chain. I am alarmed that Santos proposal will drill into the groundwater, disrupting the geological facies so that contaminants are mobilised through the Great Artesian Basin.

This project has an unacceptable risk to our ground water, natural ecology and farming economy. Please reject this application.

I have taken a close interest in this matter and support the comments below of the Wilderness Society. In summary, whilst there may be shortages of gas for local consumption there are more environmentally appropriate locations and methods of extraction than what is proposed in the Narrabri Gas Project in the Pilliga. I am also most conscious that we are constantly impacting our natural environment in a negative way. We must take environmental preservation in a far more responsible way or in the long run (only some decades away) all species including ourselves will have serious challenges of survival.

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. 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 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.

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 coordination. 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 pollution. The area has been internationally recognised as a `dark sky park' 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.

The comments above list many strong reasons why the Narrabri Gas project must not proceed.

There are many many good reason why both the local farming community AND the traditional custodians of this land object to these wells. But one of the most important is surely that clean water is our legacy to our children and life cannot be supported with this most precious resource!
CSG contaminated water is toxic and there is a long proven history of spills and leaks with Santos. They can not be trusted and the risk is completely unacceptable.

I object to this plan because the Pilliga is a safehaven for threatened wildlife, coal seam gas fuels dangerous climate change through the methane released, it risks the clean water of the Great Artesian basin and the Murray-Darling Basin ,the Traditional Custodian owners are opposed and the bushfire risk will rise because of the methane flares.

Dear Decisionmaker,
I'm strongly opposed to any further gas exploration in the Pilliga. The number of reasons against it is staggering - with a tiny bit of common sense anybody can only shake the head about this proposal. But to state inly a few arguments against it , please look at this:
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.

May I add that in many other countries the fracking technique
is not allowed because of the environmental factors alone.

Regards
Birgit Graefner

I object to all CSG Mining being conducted in Australia. Our water sources are too precious to be contaminated by this type of mining. It has been stated that the process of CSG Mining is toxic to water at all of its stages and I believe that our water resources are finite as it is, without any contamination by an unnecessary mining venture.

What is the point of extracting more of the earth when we have so much renewable energy. It's messed up
Stop now

I object because it is putting the sustainability of life on this planet in direct jeopardy.

I object to the submission based on the potential risks to underground water quality and pressure and to prime agricultural land.

With current world population growth rates I believe that food and quality agricultural land are going to be in great demand in the very near future. Locally we have an amazing farming land resources supported by an incredibly efficient and healthy water supply that nature has cleverly stored underground away from evaporation. To risk all this for the sake of a short term fuel supply that has no long term future and still supports global warming seems ludicrous.

In our experience old water wells cannot be properly sealed or repaired to prevent water leaks, how do they propose to stop gas leaks if they can't stop water?

In short I feel it's a poor investment decision as the longer term risks to health, aquifers and farming assets far outweigh any short term profits from gas.

I am absolutely against the ludicrous desecration of this incomparable land. It is rare and beautiful and is not ours or Santos' to wreck with clearing and gas pipelines and water pollution. I go camping here with my family and marble at it's power of it's pristine condition. DON'T LET THEM DO IT

It takes less than 6 months to wreck a landscape that has taken hundreds of years to become the beauty that it is. Please don't permit this foolishness

Firstly this 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.

Secondly the risk of water contamination is to high given the relatively short life of this project. We could end up with large amounts of contaminated water which could have served this country for hundreds of years to come.

Also there is just the low amount of taxes paid by mining companies in this country, compared to the value of the one time resources they are extracting as well as the fact that the only reason for this fracking is because Australia's gas is already being sold to overseas countries at a cheaper rate than we can buy it.

We do not need this gas, we need the current amount extracted to benefit Australia first and frankly putting Australia's most precious resource (water) at stake for a short term gain is frankly criminal. Leave it where it is and maybe in 50-60 years they will find a method to extract it risk free.

Gas drilling in the Pilliga
Will you destroy this environment forever? Only to send the gas overseas?

Export contracts should have been better thought through so there would be more available domestically, rather than destroying more of our envioronment.

I am fearful of our future as a young person, and want us to protect our lands and secure a greener future. Please, let's stop milking the land till breaking point and let's take a progressive step in stopping the continuation of our out dated way of getting power, push for a innovative and cleaner, more secure future by stopping the continuation drilling gas wells. One step at a time! This gas well project is not progressive.

As a Coonabarabran resident I am deeply concerned for the future of the Pilliga and our township.
The Pilliga forest and the Great Artesian Basin are very vulnerable areas. Short-term profit is not worth the long-term losses on the delicate flora and fauna of our forest.
I am concerned for the health of the Artesian Basin and the impact that the mining will have both on aquifer water levels and about the impact of toxins entering the water. It is not worth losing our farmland. Given the vastness of the aquifer, the impact is unknown and not worth the risk.
I am concerned about the increased risk of bushfires in a highly fire-prone area from open flames throughout the Pilliga.
Technologies exist which can replace CSG and so mining it is obsolete.
I am sure nothing that I am writing is new and perhaps it is boring to read again, just know that I am passionately against this project.
Kind regards
Simone Tenne

I have spent time in the Pillaga with my family, and oppose the Santos Narabri Gas Project.
The area is a unique and precious area, home to the Gamilaraay people, communities, farmers, and vital habitat for native animals (including endangered animals). I have personally seen the damaging effects of the ferocious bush fires that have ripped through there in the past and the risk presented by the well flare stacks is simply something that cannot hope to be contained in this environment.
The risk to ground acquifers is something that cannot be accepted. Once polluted the effects will be near impossible to make good, and the draining of these would affect the bores and springs that locals rely on for farming and life.
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. Santos appears to have no solution for disposing of the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of salt that will be produced leaving another toxic legacy for the area and the Murray Darling Basin.
The Siding Springs Observatory area adjacent to the Pilliga has been internationally recognised as a `dark sky park' and the gas flares and drilling proposed by Santos threaten the viability of the facility trough the light and dust pollution caused. Facilities like this are becoming harder to maintain due to increasing light pollution and putting this scientific site at risk for speculative and expensive Gas generation in not acceptable.

As proven by the recent Gas summit convened by the Prime Minister there is enough gas to be provided from existing sources to guarantee our future without gambling on these more speculative methods. Similarly the tide has turned with a renewed focus on renewable sources such as battery that have dropped in price with the recent SA proposals. This technology is not worth the risk in general let alone in such a significant area for NSW, in terms of habitat preservation, farming, and community, and tourism for the area.