Narrabri Gas

The Narrabri Gas Project risks precious water sources.
Farmers and other local community reject the project.
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.
The Pilliga is a haven for threatened wildlife.

The proposal will have a significant, disruptive impact on the environment in the Pilliga region during the construction and operation of the project. The infrastructure required will be intrusive in the extreme, adversely effect wildlife, diminish and potentially pollute ground water reserves in the Great Artisian basin.

The history associated with the Coal Seam Gas industry in Queensland should be sufficiently salient to indicate the short-term consequences of ill-considered resource exploitation. Long-term though, we can only speculate on the possibilities of damage to the environment and the contribution these products will make to climate change.

For the sake of present and future generations, please reject the proposal.

Dear people who will decide if this coal seam gas project in our the peoples and animals priceless Pilliga forest region, home to 200 species of birds, to koala, wallaby, quoll, pygmy possum, long eared bat, actually a listed national biodiversity hotspot, will be allowed to forever fragment and damage such a significant natural asset, or not. Please think of your children and grand children and great grand children. Will you make the right decision in their eyes? What do we/did we value? How will you be judged? The natural asset I implore you far outways the short term highly intrusive extraction of gas from our earth, where significantly lies our two precious water resources of The Great Artesian Basin and Murray Darling Basin, invaluable and so not to be risked by contamination in themselves. Please, say no, the Pilliga is too precious to allow this gas project in. Regards Peter Lamb

Please count my voice in the push to stop the destruction of our beautiful land that is being caused by the practice of 'fracking' in the Pilliga area of NSW. Let it be known to the Australian government that I am against this systematic destruction of the environment of the region & i am taking a stand alongside my fellow country men & woman to say this search for gas is unacceptable,unnecessary & Must Stop🇦🇺 Thank you for Listening, Leslie

This project has been shown to be opposed by 96% of the surveyed population. The multiple areas where it will cause damage now, as well an in the distant future are not worth any benefits it could bring. These include water contamination, destroying traditional native sites and disruption of the ecosystem for both plants and animals and following this, people.

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.

The evidence is overwhelming that this CSG project will cause untold damage to the great artesian basin.
No company can guarantee no negative environmental impacts from such a procedure as CSG.
I strongly oppose this and all other proposed CSG projects within Australia.

PLEASE SAVE OUR PRECIOUS WATER RESOURCES FROM DESTRUCTION

with the artesian basin at a low level ,the risk of contamination is probable.when will we as a country realise what we have and that we need to nurture, not use and abuse and finally destroy it for future generations to have the same as we have been able to have in our lives.this way of looking to the now and not to the future is self destructive,we need to change our ways and do something positive for the future of our countries people not just the economy,because without the people there is no economy and without the economy we need no government and so on,so start taking care of the roots of the land and the rest willl follow.

We as a country of arid lands rely greatly on our natural aquifers to supply clean ground water to huge tracts of land throughout Australia. This gas drilling project will directly interfere with these aquifers. It will be detrimental to the country in the long run for minimal short term offshore gains. Think of our grandchildren and great grandchildren. What are we doing to their futures ?

Don't make Australia a wasteland

Stop killing the environment for profit you hacks

Stop devastating the environment and invest in renewables instead. You are part of the problem.

The final and only point is.
It's not stable it will fail and do irreparable damage to the environment. We do not have that right.

One company does not have the right to destroy our country full stop.

Malcolm Turnbull share your thoughts on tv And go on record

Please consider the future generations this is not safe at all! Devastating effects that cannot be remedied on our precious environment and water supply are a certainty...Please reconsider investing in such short sighted and dangerous action!

I beg of you to not allow Santos to mine for coal seam gas in any part of Australia. We have enough technology, sun, wind and tide to supply Australia with our energy needs. To have an international company come to Australia basically to make money and with a high risk of leaving behind an enviromental disaster, aloss of our culture and history and potentially major health issues is insane.
The people of Australia DO NOT WANT THIS. So lets fly the democratic flag and send Santos home.
When the last tree has been knocked down and the last river has dried up will man realize HE CANT EAT MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!.
Please, please stop this now

CSG wells seals leak, some almost straight away, all within fifty years. To have them passing through the artesian basin is criminal. Destroying that water supply does not make any sense at all, particularly for the short term profits of a multi national company.

I appeal to all government and politicians of Australia to halt and ban for eternity all coal steam gas mining in the Pilliga. It would constitute an environmental catastrophe of repairable damage. For the sake of our land our water and future. Be aware and put a stop to this now forever for pity sake.
Yours Sincerely
Nicole Flannagan

I ask that this project not proceed. I am completely against
any more of the Australian environment being developed by
Mining companies or other unsustainable industries. Wildlife and
Flora needs to be protected and it is clear that so far mining companies do not protect either before, during or after their developments. Please do not go ahead with this project.

This is bullshit. Leave thePilago in its natural state.

Dear Dept of Planning and Environment

I am opposed to any CSG exploration or exploitation in the Pilliga Region of Australia. I am strongly opposed to SCG projects generally but this project, located in such a critical region of the west with all its importance to the Great Artesian Basin is out of the question.

For almost the entire time that farming and agriculture has been practiced in the central regions of our state the Great Artesian Basin has been of central importance. I am concerned that CSG exploitation will compromise this unique and irreplaceable resource.

The fact that almost all farmers in the area as well as the Indigenous Custodians for the region are opposed should make it a very simple decision.

CSG wells in the Pilliga must not be allowed.

Phil Staples