Narrabri Gas

I strongly object to the Narrabri Gas Project. After completing much research into the Coal Seam Gas industry I am compelled to support those working towards its removal from all communities across Australia. The extraction of this resource provides short term benefits only. The long term effects to the Australian community and the Australian environment is catastrophic. We need to support alternative options.

As a property owner I am a stakeholder in any precedent set by the NSW government. This cash grab for a dwindling, costly resource which uses mega-litres to tera-litres, of precious water is shameful. From what I have read, the NSW government has been negligent in ensuring that wells do not leak in the past and cannot ensure that wells will not leak in the future. In fact, all wells will leak eventually. Companies have been required to have no public transparency as to the chemicals used in production or to accurately report leakages. Produced water storage ponds have flowed into water ways due to negligence or extreme weather events. CSG is Costly, Shortsighted and Generational theft.

The Pilliga Forest is the "lung" of NW NSW. The last remaining large forested area in north western NSW.
I object to the Narrabri Gas Project as it will cause a massive incursion and disturbance to the Pilliga. It will cut the Pilliga up in a matrix of well sites, roads, treatment plants, fire breaks, pipelines, caustic dams, drains, and gas burn off. It will cause air pollution, noise pollution from 24 hour drilling rigs, generators and general industrial traffic. Imagine the impact on the wildlife and plants of the Pilliga, the serenity of the area, and the quiet enjoyment by others.
Why would we allow one of the last remaining forested areas, a unique area, and a haven for birdlife, to be attacked and raped by such a proposal.

Please, the people have spoken. We do not want the polish mined for coal seam gas.
Can we not learn from America where the long term implications are so much worse than originally expected. This effort will equal the end of the policy as we know it with continuing negative ramifications for the future of our country.
Investing in energy should be more environmentally friendly-even coal mining is better for the environment and causes less long term dangers.
We mustn't pollute our water springs and earth in this manner....
I urge you to listen and act to the benefit of this country as a whole. NO COAL SEAM GAS MINING AND NO CAG FROM THE PILIGA!

The project is the largest development ever proposed under the modern planning system, and four times the size of the only other two CSG projects assessed and approved in NSW.
Santos proposes up to 850 wells on 425 well pads over 95,000 hectares. This is more than four times the size of either of the previously approved CSG projects in NSW. The proposal includes a gas processing facility for compression dehydration and treatment of gas, a water management facility for storage and treatment of produced water and brine, possible additional power generation on site, continual flaring (burning off of gas) at two locations, an infrastructure corridor through the forest between Leewood and Bibblewindi, expansion of worker accommodation, discharge of waste water into Bohena Creek, irrigation with treated water and landfill burial of tens of thousands of tonnes of salt.

OBJECTIONS
1. Lack of detail
Santos' EIS is very short on detail. It does not provide maps indicating where these 850 wells and the lines and infrastructure that run between and around them will go. Santos is seeking a blank cheque consent for this gasfield on the promise that it will decide where the wells will go afterward using a "Field Development Protocol." No project has ever been assessed this way before in NSW and the constraints Santos propose are weak and subject to change later on. This is not an appropriate way to assess the largest development project ever undertaken under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act and the Government must insist that Santos release details to the public about the placement of its wells, pipelines and some other infrastructure.

2. No justification for the project
The significant harm on the social, environmental and economic values of the Narrabri Shire and New South Wales that this project will inflict needs to be weighed against the economic justification for the project, but there is no such economic justification. Santos is one of several large gas companies that threw the east coast gas market and the industries that rely on it into turmoil by opening up CSG fields in Queensland and contracting to sell more gas than those fields can produce to overseas customers. They drove up the price of gas and are plundering supplies previously available to manufacturers and power stations.

The gas produced at Narrabri might be as little as 4.9% of the volume contracted for sale out of Gladstone. It's not going to bring down prices. In fact, it will force prices up, because unconventional gas like CSG is so expensive to produce and yields are so low. Research undertaken by gas company AGL shows that gas from the Pilliga would be the most expensive gas of anywhere in the current east coast gas market. The number of jobs the project will support once the construction is over is just 145. Weighed against damage to the land, and the Great Artesian Basin, this makes no sense. We need sustainable jobs, not plunder for profit.


3. The Narrabri Gas Project risks precious water sources, including the Great Australian Basin.
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.

4. The Gamilaraay Traditional Custodians are opposed to the project,
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. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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 Area. 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.

Without specific information about where the wells and lines will be located, a proper ecological impact assessment can't be completed.

8. 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.

9. 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.

Santos' social impact assessment is three years old and utterly inadequate. The compendium of health studies produced by the Concerned Health Professionals of New York shows mounting evidence for health damage by unconventional gas operations, including water contamination and respiratory illness. The Government must insist that Santos conduct a proper health impact assessment including modelling exposure pathways, reviewing literature and engagement with the Narrabri community.
In Narrabri, this project will have negative impacts on cost-of-living, the labour and housing markets. The latter is cited in as a benefit of the project but it will not benefit low-income renters. The effect of the project on cost-of-living in the Shire needs to be modelled, assessed and considered, as do the labor dynamics of the project.

10. The nation's premier optical astronomical observatory is at risk from light pollution,.
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' and the 50m high gas flares proposed by Santos threaten the viability of the facility.

11. Thousands of tonnes of salt waste will result from the project.
Santos has no solution except land fill 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.

12. 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.

13. Air quality
The air quality assessment fails to include health-damaging fine particulate pollution with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less (known as PM2.5). With diesel generators at each well pad and at the water treatment and gas compression plants, there will be significant PM2.5 emissions. The air quality assessment and greenhouse section also fail to model the likely substantial escape of fugitive methane emissions.

4 May 2017

I am asking that my submission is treated as "CONFIDENTIAL".

I am welcoming the opportunity to make a submission in regards to the Narrabri Gas Project and would like to comment on the following issues:

Health Impacts
Research by Doctors for the Environment (1) found that the current level of assessment, monitoring and regulation of unconventional gas exploration and mining activities in Australia is inadequate to protect the health of current and future generations of Australians. They have outlined three key areas where there is the potential for adverse human health impacts:

- through contamination of water, air and soil
- through diversion of water and land away from agricultural food production
- from mental health impacts on communities who have had environmental changes imposed upon them

Research by the National Toxics Network (2) found that there are serious risks associated with BTEX chemicals which are used in the fracking process and can be naturally occurring and mobilised by the process of hydraulic fracturing. The National Toxics Network outlines the health hazards associated with exposure to BTEX chemicals as follows: ... in the short term causing skin irritation, central nervous system problems and effects on the respiratory system. Prolonged exposure to these compounds can also negatively affect the functioning of the kidneys, liver and blood system. Long-term exposure to high levels of benzene in the air can lead to leukaemia and cancers of the blood..."


Water
Unconventional gas mining requires large scale dewatering of aquifers and can have devastating impacts on water quantity and quality.

Mining of this nature commonly occurs in low rainfall, if not arid, areas where surface water is scarce and agriculture is totally dependent on groundwater, especially from the Great Artesian Basin in eastern Australia. In these areas the impact of gas drilling can be dramatic as it punctures and mixes aquifers and lowers water tables.

The large volumes of waste water produced from unconventional gas mining are likely to be reinjected into aquifer formations, partially "treated" and reused or released into waterways, or trucked to holding ponds for storage. The latest information even suggests the use of so-called "treated wastewater" to irrigate crops, therefore, possibly introducing chemicals and radionuclides into the food chain. The chemicals used in fracking have been shown to include many hazardous substances, including carcinogens, neurotoxins, irritants/sensitisers, reproductive toxins and endocrine disruptors (3).

Disposal of contaminated water has often been haphazard, often dumped into streams or held in ponds with the water and any volatile organics evaporated into the atmosphere and dissolved contaminants left in the pond. The stored contaminants may then be mobilised in seasonal floods. Ultimately, the contaminated water filters back into the environment and causes damage to flora, fauna, ecosystem services and biodiversity. This is a critical oversight as our very survival as a species depends on the ecosystem services provided by a biodiverse, sustainable environment.

The National Water Commission in its report (4) stated that coal seam gas mining risks having significant, long-term and adverse impacts on water resources, including from depressurisation and contamination of aquifers.

All groundwater use needs to be regulated to ensure sustainability and fair allocation of this finite resource.

The Narrabri Gas Project will extract over 35 billion litres of toxic groundwater, much of it in the first five years. This water will be treated and in the early years will generate tens of thousands of tonnes of salt, for which there is no safe disposal plan.


Environment
One of the key arguments for unconventional gas mining is that it produces less greenhouse gas emissions than other fossil fuels, particularly coal, and should be seen as a transition to sustainable energy systems. However, the reality is that it actually has the potential to increase Australia's greenhouse gas emissions.

Gas wells used in the unconventional mining industry, pipelines, compressor stations and storage facilities are all prone to releasing fugitive methane, a potent greenhouse gas with the global warming potential at least 25 times that of carbon dioxide.

An article (5) in SMH of 15 November 2012, "Gas body fired up over reports of methane leaks", covers a study done by researchers of Southern Cross University. Testing inside the Tara gas field, near Condamine on Queensland's Western Downs, found some greenhouse gas levels more than three times higher than nearby districts. "Methane, carbon dioxide and other gases appear to be leaking through the soil and bubbling up through rivers at an astonishing rate", the researchers said. "The concentrations here are higher than any measured in gas fields anywhere else that I can think of, including in Russia,'' Damien Maher, a biochemist who helped conduct the tests, said. ''The extent of these enriched concentrations is significant.''

The unconventional gas industry has no place in Australia as an energy provider, especially following the agreement of a 1.5 degree temperature increase as a global goal at the Paris IPCC conference. Unconventional gas mining is destructive to both the environment and the community and has no benefits outside of short-term economic gain. The claims made that Australia has no responsibility for greenhouse gases generated overseas by combustion of exported gas is disingenuous. We should be taking cradle-to-grave responsibility for the climate change impacts of all fossil fuels extracted in Australia.

This project will clear close to 1,000 hectares of the Pilliga Forest, fragmenting the largest temperate woodland in New South Wales, home to unique and endangered flora and fauna.

Conclusion
Based on the above facts I am against the development of an unconventional gasfield in the Pilliga (Narrabri Gas Project) and I am calling for a total ban of any form of unconventional gas mining. This includes the phasing out and remediation of current exploration and production activities. No matter what regulations are put in place by governments or how strict they are on paper (such as the New South Wales "Gas Plan"), the risks of contamination of water and air can never be alleviated. For government's to simply build a regulatory framework around this industry in order for the latter to proceed in any case, is, in my view, simply condoning a terrible industry to go ahead, no matter the outcomes. A government that allows this industry to go ahead acts in a gross negligent and unethical way by putting our nation's water and food security at risk, by putting people's health at risk and by contributing greatly to the effects of global warming and climate change.

Yours faithfully,

References
1 http://dea.org.au/news/article/the_mining_and_burning_of_coal_effects_on_health_and_the_
environment which references this article https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2011/195/6/mining-and-burning-coal-effects-health-and-environment

2 http://www.ntn.org.au/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/NTN-CSG-Report-Sep-2011.pdf

3 National Toxics Network: Toxic Chemicals in the Exploration and Production of Gas from Unconventional Sources

4 The Coal Seam Gas and Water Challenge, December 2010

5 http://www.smh.com.au/environment/gas-body-fired-up-over-reports-of-methane-leaks-20121114-29ck7.html

I am a private citizen of NSW who is becoming very alarmed at the government's attitude towards the people of this state and it's total disregard for their wishes and for the protection of the environment.

Coal Seam Gas exploration and mining ruins the environment and ruins communities. It threatens water supplies and underground artesian wells. The Great Artesian Basin and the Murray Basin and the Pilliga region in general has some of the most pristine forests and waterways in Australia. The wildlife and native flora is precious, not only to the traditional owners but also those people who have made their way of life in this region. People live in remote communities because they want the experience of living off the land and immersing themselves in the natural environment. They do not want the invasion of mining and the destruction that it brings.

The traditional owners of the Pilliga have said a definite "no" to CSG on their land. This alone should be enough for the government to sit up and take notice. The residents and farmers living in the Pilliga and thousands of people all around Australia who are concerned about the preservation of our environment have said "no" to CSG and yet the NSW government ignore these people in favour of the big mining companies. All they can see is $$$$$

Coal Seam Gas mining in the Pilliga would put the health of the Namoi River at risk through contamination from the run off of very toxic chemicals. The clearing of land and disruption of the natural balance would put native animals, especially those who are already endangered at risk. The health of the local people would be in jeopardy as it is well documented from other CSG mining sites that local people suffer difficulties with eyesight, breathing and dizziness.

Santos has not had a good track record when it comes to toxic spills and leaks and has no plan in place to deal with the huge amount of salt waste that comes from CSG mining which means there will be a pollution problem long after Santos has left the region. I think the government is being naïve if they think they can trust Santos to care about it's impact on the Pilliga region.

Siding Springs Observatory is close to the proposed sites that Santos wants to mine. 850 gas flares will produce light and dust 24 hours a day which will affect the wonderful work done by the observatory which has the reputation of being one of the world's best dark sky parks. These flares also endanger the region when it comes to bushfires because they will burn during fire ban times. If someone's BBQ can start a fire, or a cigarette butt, so can a gas flare. Santos will be transporting highly flammable substances through bush fire prone zones in dangerous time of drought and high temperatures causing more bush fire hazards.

My heart goes out to the people of the Pilliga region who do not want this mining in their region. There should be no mining in any region that will endanger people, animals, the environment or Australia's underground water supplies and rivers. Instead of forcing the people of NSW to accept such a devastating blow to their life and livelihoods, why doesn't the NSW government put more $$$, time and energy in researching and developing clean, green energy for our state. That's what the people of NSW really want. It's about time they were listened to.

As a home owner in the nearby town of Pilliga and NSW resident I am extremely worried about the proposed Narrabri Gas Field on a number of accounts:
- there is significant local opposition to the proposal and an overwhelming majority of people do not want it to go ahead. The local Aboriginal Elders don't want it either. Approving it would further divide the community and disenfranchise local people.
- it is a threat to underground water, which we all depend on for drinking and agriculture. Poisoning water poisons all of us and future livelihoods. Its not worth the risk.
- Santos already has a bad record keeping its waste water under control and has already contaminated areas of the Pilliga. This is not acceptable. To my knowledge they still don't have a definite plan for how to deal with the masses of toxic water and salt that would come out of the gas field.
- the Pilliga Forest is an important ecological area for many species, there's not many natural places, especially forest, left in this area of NSW, so it is really important for habitat. It is also important for recreation.
- its a major bushfire risk, with the flaring they have to do.

We don't even need the gas and this gas is just for export to benefit other countries at the expense of Australian water, farming, people and ecology. Its a disgrace to think it can even be considered an option.

We have plenty of sun out Pilliga way - be visionary and put that to good use instead!

Sincerely,

Jarra Hicks

For my sons future, please revoke this project approval

It will extract over 35 billion litres of toxic groundwater, much of it in the first five years. This water will be treated and in the early years will generate tens of thousands of tonnes of salt, for which there is no safe disposal plan.
It will clear close to 1,000 hectares of the Pilliga Forest, fragmenting the largest temperate woodland in New South Wales, home to unique wildlife.
It will cause significant diversion of water from a recharge aquifer of the Great Artesian Basin, which is a water resource relied upon by rural communities across western NSW.
It will lead to large deliberate and fugitive emissions of methane, adding to climate change.
It 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.
It is not justified: Santos' own Coal Seam Gas export activities in Queensland have caused gas prices to rise and supply to become unpredictable. NSW should respond to this by investing in more reliable and ultimately cheaper renewable energy, not by letting Santos inflict more environmental, social and economic harm.
It will cause economic upheaval in Narrabri and put agricultural industries at risk, as well as causing light pollution that will ruin the dark night sky needed by the internationally renowned Siding Spring Observatory.
Coal Seam Gas is harmful to health. Neither the NSW Government nor Santos have investigated or dealt with the serious health effects of coal seam gas now appearing in peer-reviewed research in the United States.

All CSG should be stopped until we are shure that our environment will be protected. Our land should be protected for the generations to come. Use reneable solar and wind energy not coal.

I have fought a major bushfire in the Piliga- a beautiful part of our country. Any gas well here is an invitation to follow qld and destroy what's left!!! I object!!!!

It will extract over 35 billion litres of toxic groundwater, much of it in the first five years. This water will be treated and in the early years will generate tens of thousands of tonnes of salt, for which there is no safe disposal plan.
It will clear close to 1,000 hectares of the Pilliga Forest, fragmenting the largest temperate woodland in New South Wales, home to unique wildlife.
It will cause significant diversion of water from a recharge aquifer of the Great Artesian Basin, which is a water resource relied upon by rural communities across western NSW.
It will lead to large deliberate and fugitive emissions of methane, adding to climate change.
It 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.
It is not justified: Santos' own Coal Seam Gas export activities in Queensland have caused gas prices to rise and supply to become unpredictable. NSW should respond to this by investing in more reliable and ultimately cheaper renewable energy, not by letting Santos inflict more environmental, social and economic harm.
It will cause economic upheaval in Narrabri and put agricultural industries at risk, as well as causing light pollution that will ruin the dark night sky needed by the internationally renowned Siding Spring Observatory.
Coal Seam Gas is harmful to health. Neither the NSW Government nor Santos have investigated or dealt with the serious health effects of coal seam gas now appearing in peer-reviewed research in the United States.

Let's only use sustainable sources of energy! We know this is bad for the planet and these big companies and politians try to sell us on "clean coal" etc so they can line their pockets. The Australian public and international community is sick of this and it needs to stop now!

The two most precious water resources are the Great Artesian Basin (largest groundwater aquifier in Australia) and the Murray-Darling Basin. Great Artesian Basin highest recharge rates is almost entirely contained in the East Pilliga Forest. Water removed for CSG could reduce water pressure in recharge areas potentially stopping free flow of waters to surface at springs and bores across Great Artesian Basin. Creeks in Pilliga run into Namoi River, part of Murray Darling- Basin, this system is vulnerable to contamination from drilling fluid spills and salty treated water produced from proposed 850 wells.
The Gamilaraay people do not want CSG. Santos is aware they do not want their land sacrificied for a CSG field. Farmers and other local people are totally opposed to CSG, 96% of people are opposed.
Narrabri Gas Project has a long history of toxic spills which is not safe for drinking the water. 20 reported spills and leaks of toxins from CSG. Santos cannot be trusted.
Pilliga is a haven for threatened Wildlife. 95,000 hectares to be mined would threaten the survival of endangered species.
Methane produced from mining fuels dangerous climate change and will pose serious health threats for humans.
Thousand of tonnes of salt waste will be produced and this in turn increases fire risk as well as flare sticks up to 50m high increasing fire risk.
If these dangerous mines are allowed to proceed, the cost of human health will be a huge financial drain on the economy. Our precious Wildlife will be gone, this in turn has a huge impact on the economy. Tourism is a major contributor to the economy. the water will not be fit for human consumption and farmers will not be able to grow food for human consumption.
Santos will walk away with the profits leaving devastation behind which cannot be repaired. Mining jobs are few and only temporary. Tourism means jobs well into the future.

I object to Santos' plan to mine coal seam gass in the Pilliga region for the following reasons:
Some Key Issues:

It will extract over 35 billion litres of toxic groundwater, much of it in the first five years. This water will be treated and in the early years will generate tens of thousands of tonnes of salt, for which there is no safe disposal plan.
It will clear close to 1,000 hectares of the Pilliga Forest, fragmenting the largest temperate woodland in New South Wales, home to unique wildlife.
It will cause significant diversion of water from a recharge aquifer of the Great Artesian Basin, which is a water resource relied upon by rural communities across western NSW.
It will lead to large deliberate and fugitive emissions of methane, adding to climate change.
It 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.
It is not justified: Santos' own Coal Seam Gas export activities in Queensland have caused gas prices to rise and supply to become unpredictable. NSW should respond to this by investing in more reliable and ultimately cheaper renewable energy, not by letting Santos inflict more environmental, social and economic harm.
It will cause economic upheaval in Narrabri and put agricultural industries at risk, as well as causing light pollution that will ruin the dark night sky needed by the internationally renowned Siding Spring Observatory.
Coal Seam Gas is harmful to health. Neither the NSW Government nor Santos have investigated or dealt with the serious health effects of coal seam gas now appearing in peer-reviewed research in the United States.

This plan must be stopped immediately.
Money is NOT worth the health of our home and our people.

I support the project , but I want the gas to be delivered to Newcastle

I support this project, but i want the gas to be delivered to Newcastle.

This has only destructive consequences to the Australian community, particularly in the long term.

I oppose this on the grounds that due to the seriousness of global warming as a threat to our economy, environment and livelihoods, any new extraction of fossil fuels is completely inappropriate and against Australia's interests.
In addition:
It will extract over 35 billion litres of toxic groundwater, much of it in the first five years. This water will be treated and in the early years will generate tens of thousands of tonnes of salt, for which there is no safe disposal plan.
It will clear close to 1,000 hectares of the Pilliga Forest, fragmenting the largest temperate woodland in New South Wales, home to unique wildlife.
It will cause significant diversion of water from a recharge aquifer of the Great Artesian Basin, which is a water resource relied upon by rural communities across western NSW.
It will lead to large deliberate and fugitive emissions of methane, adding to climate change.
It 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.
It is not justified: Santos' own Coal Seam Gas export activities in Queensland have caused gas prices to rise and supply to become unpredictable. NSW should respond to this by investing in more reliable and ultimately cheaper renewable energy, not by letting Santos inflict more environmental, social and economic harm.
It will cause economic upheaval in Narrabri and put agricultural industries at risk, as well as causing light pollution that will ruin the dark night sky needed by the internationally renowned Siding Spring Observatory.
Coal Seam Gas is harmful to health. Neither the NSW Government nor Santos have investigated or dealt with the serious health effects of coal seam gas now appearing in peer-reviewed research in the United States.

All of these impacts are unacceptable.

Instead, Australia should be phasing out all fossil fuel use by 2030 and transitioning to renewable energy which provides more jobs, a much cleaner environment and a solution to global warming.

Yours sincerely,

Thomas Driftwood

i strongly object. and would like to have my objection noted.

my family and I farm in the local area, at courrada outside of Narrabri and consider this to be very invasive and will impact the future of our farming significantly.