Narrabri Gas

SHARE FARMER ON LANDS FEEDING FROM ARTESIAN BASIN. URGE STAKEHOLDERS NOT TO UNDERTAKE FRACKING UNDER THIS APPLICATION.

The idea to mine for gas in this particular area is lunacy and is a very short-sighted plan.
The Water Table is a vital resource for thousands of square kilometres and MUST remain untouched and untainted. Without this water basin 1000's of hectares will be put at risk and thousands of lifeforms will suffer.
The people are the arbiters of their futures and we don't want a toxic polluting industry in a low-rainfall area which is already very sensitive to any and all decisions to mine and clear and pollute this beautiful Australian bush.
HANDS OFF (It's what the people want and you must by law do their bidding!

I totally oppose drilling in the Pilliga. There could be untold damage done . How can this vandalism be justified? Everyone involved will have to live with this destruction for the rest of their lives, and be remembered after as being to blame for this.

I am writing to strongly object to the Narrabri Gas Project.

When I was 20 years old I camped in the Pilliga Forest for a week whilst on a university field trip studying the ecology and soils of the forest. Before going, I didn't think much of this 'scrub' that we about to visit, but after a week I fell in love with the red soils, vast blue skies and pink sunsets of this unique ecosystem, alive with Emus, mallee scrubland and rich red soil. I wish this special ecosystem to be protected so that I can take my children there one day, so they too can fall in love with the colours and peace of the Pilliga Scrub.

I now live on the Mid-North Coast of NSW. This year the State Government's 20 year plan for our region declared the north coast of NSW CSG free. This was in response to strong community opposition to CSG.

The same level of opposition to CSG exists in the North-West of NSW, due to the damaging affects that CSG mining will have on the artesian basin of the region, on which the farming community relies.

Please protect the Pilliga for our farming future, children and grandchildren by cancelling Santos' license to drill for CSG in the Narrabri region and declare the North -West of NSW CSG Free!

Yours sincerely,
Erika Van Schellebeck

I object to the project because :

1. The Narrabri Gas Project risks precious water sources, including the Great Artesian 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.
- See more at: https://www.wilderness.org.au/final-push-pilliga#sthash.KHmj9o9G.dpuf

I'm adamantly opposed to risking the Great Artesian Basin to yet another corporation. Australia needs to look ahead! Last summer was by far the worst on record AGAIN and almost unbearable. It is totally irresponsible to put the lives of Australian's at risk all in the name of the economy! Backing the fossil fuel industry is not backing our future. Their is no future in this business and no future for mankind if do not stop this corporate madness, all in the name of money! Please stop this madness. The Great Artesian basin water is so precious why would you want to risk that??

No mine in the history of mining has or will ever be one hundred percent guaranteed not to fail.
The measures taken to seal up the csg shafts after their service has finished fall short of even having a guarantee.
We had to move as far away as possible from these hell pits!

Ex Camden resident

Do not endanger our water in search of gas.

I object to this project and I am supporting the Gamilaraay people. The area has significant cultural heritage & sacred sites. Santos has no right to sacrifice their history for coal seam gas !

I also object due to this area being a feed for both the Murray Darling Basin & Great Artesian Basin. How ludicrous that the government would even consider allowing an invasive activity such as coal seam gas mining with such a great risk to Australia's water supply !

Coal seam gas is not a renewable resource. I object to any non renewable activity in Australia, let alone one in such a precious ecosystem such as the Pilliga.

Some areas are too important to be mined. Water is more important than any other mined product. Protection of forests and all the creatures that need them are more important today considering how we as humans are destroying our planet.
Please reconsider your actions, and protect all the natural areas that are threatened.

I have many fond memories of mytimes in the Pilliga from working in the Narrabri-Walgett area many years ago and I am at a loss as to how the National Party would condone the rape of this wonderful part of Australia, especially given that drilling has the potential for significant detrimental damage to farming properties, the environment and to the Great Artesian Basin.
Fossil fuels are quickly becoming obsolete and the permanent damage to the Pilliga for short term gains of mining companies is unacceptable. Please say NO to this application.

We have the knowledge and resources to live synergistically with this planet and the other inhabitants within it.
Large corporations are raping this planet of it's natural resources all for their own financial gain and it's being done at the expense of all that live on it.
I am tired of those who are elected to represent us acting on behalf of those who are funding their retirement plans and in direct contrast to the majorities wishes.
I can't believe in this day and age we still need to fight this battle for the health of our environment. Money is not the most important thing in this life.

I do not wish to see coal seam gas extraction conducted on valuable farm land and land which could end up being part of the Aboriginal peoples place of existence. Also the risks to the environment are too great through contamination of the artisan basin which extends mach further than the area in question and the burning of fossil fuels as the end product.

This land we live on is a gift to us all living in Australia.

And like any gift it needs to be treasured, it is not an object, it is the earth we all live on.

Please treat the Narrabri with respect do not belittle the value of what we have been given.

Stop do not interfere with the earth by developing coal seam gas!

Enough!
Enough disruption to the lands of native peoples without their authority.
Enough not listening to the people who pay your wages.
Enough putting corporate profit and your own self interest over the will of the people.
Enough trashing of Australia's critcal and finite water resources.
Enough pandering to non renewable resource companies because they have the money and power.
Enough environmental irresponsibility.
Enough already you greedy self interested fools

I object to this project and believe that it should be rejected.
It will extract over 35 billion litres of 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 that need to be disposed of.
It will cause draw down of a recharge aquifer of the great Artesian Basin, a water resource relied upon by rural communities across Western NSW.

The Great Artesian Basin is too precious to allow CSG drilling. We need it for agriculture and food security.
We do not need environmental damage now or for the future.
It is too risky to hope CSG mining of the Great Artesian Basin does not have dire consequences into the future.

My objections to the proposed CSG drilling in the Pilliga are :

( 1 ) Climate Change - time to move away from fossil based fuels and towards a majority renewable based future

( 2 ) Climate Change - methane emissions and leaks from test and active wells appear to not be considered when estimating the climate change cost of CSG . Independent assessments reported in recent months in the Sydney Morning Herald and on the Guardian website claim significant levels of rogue methane adjacent to CSG wells . It is now well recognised that methane is a greenhouse gas that has change effects on climate up to 72 times that of carbon dioxide .

( 3 ) Risk to groundwater in the Great Artesian Basin - can there be absolute certainty that there will be no contamination of groundwater with fracturing that occurs deep underground ? If it does occur how will it be stopped and how will the groundwater be decontaminated ? Who will pay for this decontamination ? It would appear that it would be extremely difficult to stop this process once it has started ie rock is sufficiently fractured that it is unable to be plugged from above . Gas and groundwater then mix or groundwater is lost through the fracturing process . To consider this in a low rainfall / drought prone part of New South Wales is significantly risky and borders on being an act of vandalism .

( 4 ) Fire risk - gas flares to 50metres constantly in a dry forest region with hot summers . We do not need further massive bushfire risks in New South Wales .

( 5 ) Disposal of salt waste - apparently Santos has no plan to dispose of its waste , is this acceptable for any industry in the 21st century ??? Costs for product should include exploration , creation , production and waste management . Like rogue methane emissions this is an illogical and unreasonable omission from the application .

( 6 ) Native fauna - the animals of the Pilliga deserve the chance to survive the oncoming negative aspects of climate change . A degraded and fragmented Pilliga will further deny this .

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.

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.

The Narrabri Gas Project risks precious water sources, including the Great Artesian 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

Most significantly, 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.

I object to this project as it endangers the community, native flora, fauna, heritage, future, and water sources. This project is short-sighted and shows an industry that refuses to future-proof itself by investing in clean, renewable resources. Furthermore, the project will jeopardise the integrity of the work done at Siding Springs Observatory which is connected to important research being conducted nationally and internationally. This is a very dangerous project and will no doubt make mistakes that will cause extensive damage to the environment even outside of CSG's regular damage.