Narrabri Gas

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.

I object to this project as it risks the precious water sources, the local aboriginal people and farmers are against it, the native animals will lose their habitat, and coal seam gas risks human and animal heath.
Please do not go ahead with this submission.

CSG is wrong and horrible for the environment, I don't know anybody in my state who supports it

Stop! When in doubt don't. But there is more than doubt here. There is examples of things going wrong and with horrendous effects on the environment and our health. I don't even know how this has gone this far.
Once an event occurs it's effect is detrimental and FOREVER.

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

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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.
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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.Â
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3. Farmers and other local community reject the projectÂ

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.

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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 safelyÂ

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.
Â

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.Â
Â

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.Â

Â

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.

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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'⁶Â and the 50m high gas flares proposed by Santos threaten the viability of the facility.Â
Â

9. Thousands of tonnes of salt waste will result from the projectÂ

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.
Â

10. Risk of fires would increase throughout the PilligaÂ's tinder-box conditionsÂ

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 region.

People are well aware of the damage and destruction of

NO to CSG in the Pilliga.

How could we even imagine destroying our ancient, untouched, beautiful heritage for a resource that is destroying the planet and being unfunded in most of the developed world.
I want my children to be able to visit this natural resource that I have spent time in myself, not to be able to drive more cars. I don't care if we need to change our lifestyle and how we live to stop destroying all our natural resource but in 50 years time we will have no natural heritage left and no coal gas left so no tourism and no living quality as well as no coal- we are losing our ability to live but also to have tourism as a main economy.
That's not even counting the sacredness of this land as a cultural heritage for aboriginal people- a current, still used learning ground of passing on culture which I have witness multiple times, a recent burial site for ancestors which means ancestors live there and are the trees and animals. How would it go down if you proposed digging up white people's graveyards? There has been an apology but you keep proposing new ways of destroying culture ad connection. This is impossible and disgusting and shows no real interest in human life or connections.

Dear Sir/Madam,
It is with quite some surprise that I hereby register my total objection to any current and/or further CSG exploration/mining/fracking or activity of any kind whatsoever. My surprise is due to the necessity for anyone to even have to write such a submission. Surely, surely it is evident that this technology, this approach to satisfying the apparent need for gas is fraught with many problems. . . but, really, the issue of probable (and in existing fields, the actual) contamination of artesian water, above all else, is the thing that should have stopped C.S.G.-related endeavours well before it ever became 'a thing'. As to why anyone should have to write these words, my only conclusion is that somewhere someone is willing to jeopardise the health, safety and well-being of many, many people (also wild and domesticated creatures and plants) in the interest of fiscal gain. THIS, TO ME AND ANY THINKING PERSON, IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. Please, whomsoever should read these few lines, do all within your power to halt any C.S.G.- related activity.

Water must be protected.

environment first morons ! we all live on this planet its not just for corporate rapists.

Surely it is obvious the future of our country is built not on the energies of yesteryear but the future of renewable energies. The sooner we shut down the old and damaging energy sources the faster innovation occurs into safer energies.

As much as we try to regulate and protect the environment and allow these projects to go ahead there are always mistakes. I would just rather not have another mistake in the beautiful Pilliga Forest.

Coal seam gas should not be used without far more investigation into it's impacts on the environment. What we do know, is that it mostly consists of methane, which is a far more powerful "greenhouse gas" than carbon dioxide. Furthermore, there is a real threat to the local environment with CSG. For example, local water sources can be contaminated, including the Murray Darling Basin. In Australia, 4 million people rely on the health and stability of the Murray Darling Basin, as well as countless industries such as agriculture. The Narrabri project places these people, businesses and the environment at risk, and cannot be considered a smart move for Australia.

It is important to look at the bigger picture! As human beings we need a to live in balance with nature to preserve the very things it provides for our survival.
We must not pollute our water, destroy Eco systems, and poison the land for a short term monetary driven incentive.
Coal seam gas fields will pollute our water which will impact our health through consumption of the water but also in the chemicals which will become part of our food chain and therefore part of ourselves.
We must see beyond tomorrow and protect our environment for the health of our future generations.

This cannot go forward! It is going to destroyed precious water sources, destroy the surrounding environment, devastate the native wildlife as well as going against the wishes of the original custodians of the land

I strongly object to the Santos Coal Seam Gas Project in the Pilliga for the following reasons.

I fear for water contamination due to the toxic chemicals used in their processes.

The fact of ignoring the cultural significance of this area and the Gamilaraay Traditional Custodians dont approve.

Extensive community surveys have shown an average of 96% opposition to CSG.

Santos cannot be trusted to manage the project safely this has been proved by other projects managed by them.

Human health is compromised by coal seam gas and this is not the way for the future of our children and grandchildren.

We are responsible to leave our future generations with clean air, water and uncontaminated lands.

Frack no! The need for fuels does not outweigh the cost to the environment of which fracking has one of the highest environmental impacts. Simply because there is something that can be taken for profit does not mean that it should. Australia has many glorious ecological systems left (humans have destroyed many already) and there is no good reason that man should continue to plunder its rich bounty. There is a long term future that needs to be considered here, not just a short sighted money grab. The time of this environmental rape and pillage should well and truly be in the past, it is now time to move forward with respect for the environment and a more harmonious way of living that will not see natural heritage irreparably destroyed.

I strongly oppose CSG drilling as the risk to Australia's most precious resource our artesian basin is unacceptable. The health risks to the families that live there is unacceptable. The forced acquisition of farm land is unacceptable. In my informed opinion CSG is a terrible procedure for the environment and the future of our citizens. It would be greatly appreciated if the government actually represented the citizens of Australia as they are employed to do.

Please stop this destruction.

We need to leave fossil fuels in the ground where they belong. No new operations should be permitted anywhere. We need to move forward towards renewable energy and not encouraging new fossil fuel developments that will increase the rate of climate change.

CSG projects elsewhere have proven risky and dangerous to both human health and the environment. Particularly in such a crucial location as the Pilliga this project must take into consideration the wishes of the community and indeed the nation. Local surveys have already determined an opposition rate of 96%. The farming community is against it, the traditional custodians are against and it's time the government listened to the people it is representing.
We cannot risk the threat that CSG brings to this vital source of water. We cannot risk the damage it will have on the forest, or the countless species that call it home. We cannot risk the destruction of livelihoods for those that live on the connected lands.