Narrabri Gas

I object to the damage this would cause and am against the use of fossil fuels.

Our environment is more precious than ever. We need investment in renuable energy at this time.
The forrests are for everyone not just multinational big business.
It is about the concerning the water we drink and letting animals live in their habitats. It's also about having natural resources unmatched in other countries. It's about keeping the environs clean and viable so as we can study the plants and fungus for medicianal properties.
Regards Emilia Storm

The government and mining industry needs to stop raping our land. The impact of gas mining will be disastrous and will be seen for may a generation as shown by scientific reports, we don't need another gas mine we need to preserve our land, our fauna and our culture. Solar energy is an alternative way to power our towns, cities and country.

I object to the proposal of this gas mine and another gas mine project.

I am a cattle and sheep grazier in North West NSW and my business depends on clean land and water to operate. We will be directly impacted by Santos' risky plans and I vehemently oppose Santos's proposed Narrabri Gas proposal as there is no proof, in fact there is mounting evidence indicating the two cannot coexist.

The coal seam gas industry classifies water as a Â`waste productÂ'. Any Government that supports an industry that will harm our most precious resource to the extent coal seam gas will be held culpable.

Our family are one of thousand who have participated in the Gasfield Free surveys in the North West region where 96% of community across 3.28 million hectares declared they will fight to remain free of industrialisation of our rural communities.

It was a simple question, Â"Do you want to live in a gasfield?Â". My answer is non negotiable Â- Â"NOÂ".

Martin Kuhn

I strongly object to development of a coal seam gas field comprising up to 850 gas wells due to the sever impact this will have at both a local and global scale. Numerous threatened species occur within the Pilliga as recognised by AWC's recent involvement in the area. It seems absurd to attempt to reintroduce locally extinct fauna whilst also attempting to destroy the planet through CSG. The time of CSG and Coal must come to an end now, it is the obvious decision to make if we want a planet to live on. Business and jobs can be created elsewhere but our planet can't!

This is a disgusting use of what should be heritage listed land.

The environmental impacts that this proposal will cause can not be justified or ameliorated in a manner that would allow this activity to proceed without significant environmental impact and in turn significant impact to our future generations.
Do not allow this to proceed!

Allowing Santos into the Narrabri is a highly irresponsible move by the NSW government.

It will threaten the livelihoods and health of local farming communities and families. Gases released by CSG operations are known to cause nausea, headaches and loss of coordination, and this is has been documented in nearby gasfield communities in Sydney. These farmers and the Gamilaraay Traditional Custodians have a right to this land and Santos does not. Undermining this would be highly disrespectful, especially considering the poor track record that Santos has in regards to environmental responsibility.

Additionally, leaks from the CSG extraction could contaminate the priceless Great Artesian Basin, causing damage that no amount of money will be able to repair. The Narrabri is a major recharge area for the entire Great Artesian Basin. This project will risk the entire basin.

The Pilliga has highly valuable biodiversity, and is actually nationally listed as a 'biodiversity hotspot'. There are so many threatened species in the Pilliga. A loss of habitat in this area would be a national disgrace and have a devastating impact on the populations of these species.

Currently, there are global efforts to stop the effects of climate change, and this project is just another step in the wrong direction. The young people of Australia are entitled to the same natural beauty of this country that older generations had. It is time that the NSW government looked beyond the temporary monetary gains that this project will bring and start looking to the future.

I object to santos being granted any access to the pilliga region for the purpose of drilling for coal seal gas. This is a dirty, expensive and hazardous way of extracting natural gas and the environmental repocusions are wide spread and well known. Which is why many countries throughout the world have banned its use. It's time to wake up and stop prostituting our lands for commercial gain.

Please do not approve this insane project. At a time when we know some of the terrifying effects of climate change why undertake more climate and environment destroying harm for corporate profits. This project will harm precious ground water, betray the traditional owners, harm local communities, threaten rare and endangered wildlife, fuel climate change, harm human health, and compromise siding springs observatory. Narrabri has a history of toxic spills. The Pilliga is an area of high fire risk. Why put permanent fire sources into this rare and precious area of our country. Please don't approve this project. Stop it for the sake of your children and grandchildren. Stand up and be a hero for our climate, our country and the future.

I object to coal seam gas exploration in any pristine lands that can be used for other financially beneficial purposes. Business practices that do not denegrate or permanently damage the land and in particular lands that are actively and/or successfully managed by the original tribal owners must be given priority. I am not against progress, I am against degradation of the country that should be kept for future generations and against developmental practices that have not been sufficiently investigated as to provide correct scientific peer approvals. That it could be a viable form of energy is important but not more important.

I am totally opposed to CSG mining in the Pilliga. The Pilliga is a unique environment that needs to remain intact. 99/100 scientists know that the earth is becoming increasingly damaged by global warming : we do NOT need to burn fossil fuels. Leave them in the ground. Like the forward-thinking European nations, who have access to much less sun than Australia, out Govt and industries should be focussing their efforts on the devt of renewable energy sources.
I am completely opposed to the devt of further CSG extraction in the Pilliga !

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.


¹SoilFutures Consulting 2014, Great Artesian Basin Recharge Systems and Extent of Petroleum and Gas Leases. http://www.gabpg.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/GAB-Report1.pdf
²http://www.smh.com.au/environment/santos-coal-seam-gas-project-contaminates-aquifer-20140307-34csb.html
³BirdLife International (2017) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Pilliga http://www.birdlife.org
⁴Marion Carey Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA), Air pollution from coal seam gas may put public health at risk The Conversation, November 20, 2012
⁵https://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/oct/21/siding-spring-observatory-threat-coal-seam-gas-light-pollution
⁶http://darksky.org/first-dark-sky-park-in-australia-designated/

- See more at: https://www.wilderness.org.au/final-push-pilliga#sthash.Zu2VryyU.dpuf

I am lodging an objection to the Narrabri Gas Project proposal. This objection is based on a real concern regarding the real and possible impacts the mining of gas and its associated infrastructure and processing will and may have on the Pillaga Forest and the artesian water supplies. The project cannot guarantee that contamination of the ground water will not happen and unless a 100% provable guarantee is proposed and can be assessed, on this count alone, the project needs to be stopped. I understand that Santos does not have a satisfactory record in protecting the environment and that even preliminary works in the field have been marked by contamination and degradation of the environment. We cannot hand over our national parks and protected lands to users who are unable to care for these irreplaceable and priceless places which belong to all Australians. Mining inevitably destroys habitat and our country already has a deplorable past record of extinctions and habitat loss (which further threatens the unique fauna and flora of this land). I object most strenuously to any surrender of protected and heritage forests to those who do not have preservation as their priority.

Stop this madness!
Coal Seam Gas is not the future. It's not viable and the cost of clean ups is going to bankrupt us!

Drilling and CSG mining by Santos threatens our groundwater supply through pollution as well as threatening the recharge system, the flow of local waterways, bird habitat, large land clearing, and local farming.
No mining company has a good record in Australia regarding the safeguarding and eventual rehabilitation of the environment.

New South Wales needs gas at a reasonable price at the door. I support job creations through the gas project at Narrabri.

I object to it

I object

I am opposing the governments plan to construct a coal seam gas field and all of the other construction to do with gas extraction in the Narrabri area. And any other for that matter.
Gas exploration is dangerous for people and environment alike and needs no place in this untouched prestine environment. Please re think this proposal and put the health of the planet before the wealth of people and destruction of beautiful environments. Thank you