Narrabri Gas

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.

I am totally against coal seam gas as it pollutes underground water sources and contributes to CO2 pollution.
We do not need more fossil fuels, nor should money be spent on digging it up.
Santos cannot guarantee to undo damage to aquifers or environment generally, nor can it undo the damage which burning fossil fuels causes.
Government is meant to protect people not to facilitate business.

Save our forest, Save our land. We cant survive without our enviroment

Please consider that forms of energy such as gas, that contribute to carbon emission is a desperate dying industry that will become legislated against in our futures as climate change escalates. Please consider that your investments here will one day be considered criminal and personal names will be brought to justice as the awareness to the destruction of our planet is already well documented. Please consider that your wealth amassed here in 2017 and beyond will be your families undoing in the streets of the future as personal are brought to justice for profiting from current personal knowingly committing acts of terrorism to our planet. And yes! This is a threat from the civil. The evidence supporting gas as a major contributor to climate change is abundant and known well beyond the intellectuals. Consider that government legislation that protects personal of this company forging ahead with acts of environmental terrorism will protect you now but when overturned will put in place tribunals of crimes against the environment that will see the benefactors in court and hence facing severe punishment including Larceny of all benfactors.

To whom it may concern:
Investment in drilling inevitably leads to exploitation of the earth's natural resources. The NSW Government should no longer be issuing permits for gas (or coal and oil) drilling if it plans to take its emissions reductions targets seriously. This is zero by 2050.
It is assumed that permits have been awarded. These should be revoked. The Pilliga is an unique ecosystem and its future must be protected for many reasons, including protection of the Great Artesian Basin Catchment, rare and endangered wildlife and plants and climate amelioration.

Quite apart from the assault on natural capital (these fossil resources are "free"), the world no longer needs any fossil fuels. Fossil fuels have put global climates in a precarious situation, threatening us all - animals, humans and all life on earth.
Refusal of any gas exploitation projects and revoking of drilling licences, is requested.
Yours faithfully,

I object in the strongest possible terms to CSG exploration and development in the Pilliga. This is a classic and intolerable case of short-term "thinking" with catastrophic long term consequences for our Great Artesian Basin, our threatened species and our largest inland forest in eastern Australia.For the sake of generations to come we must preserve what's left of our pristine environment and concentrate on large scale development of renewable energy sources. Other countries are doing it , so should and can we. The days of digging up the country should be in our past.

Hello , really will you wake up and see the devastating results on the land and people where Gas development was on , please just open a little bit so the future and our generation can enjoy the little we still have left of this land , to yes i am strongly oppose the project you wanting to make , i do not attach anything as there's so many on the web just look at the images after the project in different place just look and hear the people

I would like to bring to you some serious concerns I have for the Narrabri Gas project.
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

The Gamilaraay Traditional Custodians are opposed to this project as there are hundreds of cultural sites as well as songlines and stories.

Farmers and other local community reject the project
Extensive community surveys have shown an average of 96% opposition to CSG. 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.-to name a few .

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, The forest is home to over 200 bird species and is internationally recognised as an Important Bird Area². The Santos gasfield will damage 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. These impacts have been documented in human populations nearby to existing gasfields in Queensland, Sydney and also in America.

Thousands of tonnes of salt waste will result from the project
What is Santos solution for disposing of the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of salt?

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 project would increase ignition sources as well as extracting, transporting and storing a highly flammable gas right within this extremely fire-prone forest.
Please take in to consideration these FACTS.

With the 400 plus unconventional gas wells planned in the pilliga and each well potentially leaking though the soil strata 10kms "up ramp" as they say in the industry, how does the government approval protect the underground water aquifers, which the entire community of this area depends on domestically, for farming, research and industry?

To Whom it May Concern: Regarding the Narrabri Gas Project.

The local community of Pilliga spearheaded the campaign opposing Santos's Narrabri Natural Gas Project quite a few years ago and I would like to voice my support for them. It seems incredulous that some 850 wells are planned to be drilled throughout the Great Artesian Basin in the Pilliga, which surely must detrimentally affect the natural refuge for wildlife and plants, the groundwater, and therefore the communities that depend on it . Apparently the New South Wales Government has ignored the community's strong protest against this project, which is entirely wrong. I cannot believe there is not a better form of energy from the wide range of renewable energy options that cannot be developed and used instead of tapping into coal seam gas. I join the protest against this protect.

I object to csg development at the Piliga on the grounds of endangering community health through aquifer pollution and damage to agrobusiness in the area. Within a few years and even now renewable energy sources will be cheaper and safer in the medium to long term.

FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN OF THE PILLIGA - IT IS A PEACEFUL AND WONDERFULY BEAUTIFUL NATURAL FOREST AND BUSH LAND - I WOULD LIKE YOU TO LEAVE IT ALONE PLEASE - YOU POOR DEPRIVED BASTARDS - WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WHEN YOUR MISSES LOOSES HER HAIR AND HER TITS FALL OFF AND THERES NO WIND LEFT IN HER PIPES TO KEEP HER CUNT FROM GROING OVER - YOU LOT A SAD DEPRIVED BASTARDS - WAKE UP YOU ALIEN CUNTS WE ARE ON THE BRINK OFA HUMAN CATASTROPHY - THEN EVERY LAST CENT ON THE PLANET WONT BE ABLE TO SAVE YOU - THANKS FOR READING MY SUBMISSION ARSE WHOLE THE FULL AND COMPLETE ARSE - THATS RIGHT THE ENTIRE GAS FARTEN EATH FILLING BUT HOLE*** GOD BLESS & GIVE MY LOVE TO THE WIFE AND KIDS***.

Please stop all mining development, both past and future, in the Pilliga area. With sink holes appearing in Australia, risking lives, just as they are all over the world in areas that have been mined, we are risking the future of our children, our environment and the survival of mankind and all life. It has to stop. We need to harness green energy essentially now.

Please think with the future in mind rather than the short term benefits. It is beyond me how these proposals get this afr, they are too short term. If developed, this would only be the start--Santos has mapped a total of seven huge gasfields across this region. CSG is not a solution to our energy supply.

I vehemently protest the vast number of CSG wells that Santos is proposing to make in the Pilliga. They may think that it is a bunch of scrubby trees, and have already accordingly laid waste willy nilly, but WE know it is a place of beauty and loved country of the Gamilaraary people for many, many thousands of years. These people knew how to husband the land and kept it pristine and free from wildfire. then Santos came along. The South Australia Northern Territory Oil Search is way out of line here and way out of those two states. Leaks from their previous drilling have already poisoned the environment and not a thing is regrowing. Does this country have no shame? Our politicians have sold it off. This is criminal.

That the proposal to extract gas from this region be dropped on the grounds that it will cause untold damage to the environment and in particular the forests and artesian basin.

With the severity of global warming consequences becoming more evident each season, we need to protect the Artesian Basin in the Pilliga region - and, indeed, everywhere in Australia. Water resources and food growing capacity must be protected and enhanced. Coal Seam Gas drilling is an unacceptable risk to these precious resources. This land is for US and our future generations, it is not for the short-term profit of a private company or the current government. I say NO to CSG. You can't drink gas or eat coal. The Stone Age didn't end because we ran out of stones: Australia needs to innovate around renewables and leave the coal and its gas in the ground.

Please leave this beautiful area as is. Please leave it for our children and their children. Please leave it for the native flora and fauna.Please leave it for all Australians and visitors to Australia, so that they can see the natural beauty of this country. We have done a 'great job' destroying large parts of the Great Barrier Reef. Please learn from this. We are custodians of this country and of this planet. We do not own it and we do not have to right to exploit it..... "Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photos."

Stop the ridiculous export of gas at nil return to the country & then there will be no need for the exceedingly risky drilling

I strongly object to the Narrabri Gas Project for the following reasons.
1. The local indigenous people and the community at large do not want CSG mining in this area.
2. This project contains significant threats to the environment including the underground water and the above ground water. The Pilliga is currently a haven for animals and a magnificently clean place for astronomy. All of this is threatened by the project and by the inevitable accidents which occur.