Narrabri Gas

I do not support the building of a gasfield on traditional lands and our beautiful Australian landscape. Solar power!

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.

Deliberate contributions to climate change are unconscionable.

There is sufficient evidence that coal seam gas destroys the environment and the government needs to stop supporting the spread of this industry.
22% of Australia utterly relies on the Great Artesian Basin water source, thousands of livelihoods depend on free flowing artesian bores. We cannot afford to take any risks with this most precious resource.

We need to protect the natural assets we all rely on. There is no excuse for the government allowing gasfields across our productive farming region. Coal seam gas brings broad scale industrialisation of the landscape as companies force pipelines and infrastructure on unwilling hosts. It brings liability to landowners as properties become literally uninsurable due to its contamination risks.

Fund sustainable, environmentally friendly options instead of supporting big business against the interests of Australian farmers and communities. We and our kids deserve better decision making by the supposed leaders of our country.

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. Please don't doom this area to deal with the fallout.

I am pleading with whomever it concerns to not let this atrocity destroy our environment, which is vital to the countless native species that inhabit this expansive area. Please leave it be, the deforestation and harm to our environment is already unfathomably high in this country.

I am 82 years old with 5 daughters 5 grandchildren and one great grandchild. I am a triple certificated registered trained nurse and for 25 years owned and ran a nursing-home in Sydney. I have since retirement run a "half-way" house for rehabilitating addicts and alcoholics and then for 11 years a counselling and personal growth centre called the Life Resources Exchange in Lismore where we promoted and explored every possible environmental and world peace initiative. As a Baha'i I personally had deep commitment to world Unity and Peace and a belief in a God that is "the unknowable essence of all things" and therefore in the sacredness and interdependence of all things.
My mother was born in Dalby, Queensland...under attack from CSG. I was born at Southport before the coast was declared Gold as it was "mined" to death as a tourist shopping gambling alcohol and drug swamped nightmare. I lived and nursed for some years in Chinchilla Queensland.. now allmost devastated by CSG.. In one generation.. in my lifetime.. corporate greed and stupidity has sucked the life out of my home.!! Stop it now !

What planet do these idiots intend to move to when the last corporate criminal turns off the water the air the life... do they know something we don't know or are they really just that stupid.? Judith Light

I strongly object to the Narrabri Gas Project. The risk of damage to The Great Artesian Basin and the water quality in it, and the quality of the water that feeds into it, this cannot go ahead. Australia is the driest inhabited country in the world. Good quality water is essential for agriculture, and for human consumption.

Australia also has limited good quality land available for agricultural use. It is not possible to combine industry and agriculture successfully and sustainably. The risk of a decline in food production will increase.

There has already been a contaminated water leak from a test well within the Pilliga forest. It is highly likely that this will happen again causing further damage.

Australia's average summer temperatures are increasing every year along with strong winds. The burning stacks at each well pose a great risk of sparks being blown to dry grass or trees and catastrophic wild fire conditions erupting, as was seen nearly 2 weeks ago East of Dunedoo, NSW. Again posing
great risk of damage to infrastructure, people and their livelihoods.

Please recognise the importance of maintaining what has been and will hopefully be a life source.

NO to any coal sseam gas

LEAVE PILLIGA ALONE!!!

I object to the artesian basin being used for the extraction of coal seam gas on all accounts..my main concern is that it is our biggest water resource and coal seam gas is not safe enough for our environment. Among many other reasons. I object to the project and all its proposals

Do not agree

Dear Santos .. Just for a Change, try something that HELPS THE PLANET.. You know how well Fracking and the likes worked in the USA... WHY destroy our country ... FOR YOUR PROFIT !? I am One of the Activists that you have had the DISPLEASURE of meeting before , not just this Country.. I and my Ace Men friends were born in the 50ies ..We are Feral we are Educated we have MONEY and nothing to loose .... For your Sake and The State of a Nation STOP , STOP... Or WE WILL ...FRACK YOU RITE UP, only this time we will not just PLAY THE BALL, you know who we are..... GIVE US A REASON to pick up were we left off ??? WE ARE OLD AND NEARLY IN THE WAY... With army training ... MAKE OUR DAY.... Parasite !!!???

There are enough case studies proving the negative impact of coal seam gas drilling. The people living in the affected areas are against it, the Aboriginal elders oppose it.

I comprehensively object to the outrageous proposal to turn the precious Pilliga Forest into a massive polluting gas field. Having spent much time in this wonderous place..the very prospect of decimating important wildlife habitat for 850 noisy, dirty, gas wells is sickening. Communities across the globe have protested against the appallingly destructive methodology of CSG. Here are numerous reasons why Santos should back up and leave this area once and for all..


1. The Narrabri Gas Project risks precious water sources, including the Great Australian BasinÂ--AustraliaÂ'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 areasÂ--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 RiverÂ--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 waterÂ--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 Â`biodiversity hotspotsÂ' 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 pipelinesÂ--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 nationÂ'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 Â`dark sky parkÂ'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 PilligaÂ'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.

It seems very clear there is great local and general opposition to the extraction of gas in this area. It is time for politicians to follow the wishes of the public about environment. Protect this unique country of ours. We are not its owners, we are here to protect it and ensure its integrity for the future generations of all species, not just humans.
We have seen the previous results of mining and assurances about non contamination. The mining company cannot unequivocally guarantee this. Stop contaminating the ground and water.

CSG is destructive and there is now proof that it causes decreased structural integrity of the land it comes from after the fracking process.
Earthquakes, pollution, sickness and gas coming up through rivers is not acceptable when we have technology to produce abundant renewable sources of energy.
Instead of giving handouts to non renewable energy companies how about you use your brains and invest in concentrated solar, biogas plants and actually tax the companies who are raping this country and sending all their profits to other countries.

I object to this outrageous and blatant disregard to environmental and community wellbeing.

I am against this proposal. We all know to well the devastation it causes our great land. I strongly recommend that the Pilliga is left the way it is. The government should start listening to it he people and stop raping our great land.

From what I understand, the Gamilaraay people and the rest of the local community near the proposed project are opposed to it and this should be respected. In addition to this the substantial environmental issues associated with coal seam gas mining particularly the risk of water pollution and the known by-products such as salt waste. I urge the NSW and Australian to encourage development aimed at renewable energy sources rather than fossil fuels.