Narrabri Gas

This is an absolute disgrace and abolition of our environment thanks to our so called "leaders" of this country. So far all they have lead in is self and corporate gains and wealth and destruction of pristine and fragile environments.
We are falling behind so many other countries with larger populations and less land in the race to cut emissions and jumping on the sustainability boat. Instead our government wastes money, time and resources to destroy this land even further all for a quick dollar! When will they start to place importance on the future of this land and our children?

I object to Santos' proposed CSG Narrabri Gas Project. CSG operations place an unreasonable risk to water that New South Wales farmers and other rural and regional residents rely on.

The short term financial gain that CSG drilling may provide is far from being worth the long term environmental risk to Australian food production.

I expect the government to protect rural and regional citizens and focus on long term sustainable industries such as farming both food and fibre and the support industries that are sustained by it.

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.


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.TccJk45T.dpuf

No csg anywhere ever! Please stop the 850 gas wells planned for this forest!!

Ashley Renaut

We are now a well educated society that knows we dont need large companys to make an easy dollar out of wrecking the environment Any government official that lets this type of vandalism happen is both uneducated and out to line his or her pockets with fools gold .As an educated society we know that all and future energy sources must come from sustainable energy sources and if we are going to make the right choices for the future we are to reeducate the companies like santos and have government officials that make the right choices for the people who voted for them

Please reconsider - this is environmental vandalism on the largest scale! Listen to the people of this amazing country - this is not wanted. Once lost, this environment can never recover. This land is more than just a money machine. This is Australia!!

I would like to express my protest in the strongest possible terms against this blatantly criminal proposal by santos to once again wantonly ravage and destroy our beautiful Australian landscape and the amazing creatures that live there. The Pilgra is a national treasure that belongs to all Australians and indeed the peoples of the world . Don,t let the insatiable short term greed of these mining criminals and their political lieges rip out the soul of Australia.

I object to this.

Please reconsider your decision to go ahead with this project. It is a retrograde and anti ecological plan

I cannot believe how short sighted the government is in relation to CSG. One of the few pristine places left in our state. The government only looks at profit, revenue and equity. They don't take into consideration the people's wishes. There has not been enough community consultation. Please stop this madness.

Evidence from Queensland the darling downs becoming polluted, and evidence just this week of over 6000 leaks over4 states of America where coal seam gas has been the reason for those leaks should be evolve enough that coal seam gas mining is not safe.
The is short sighed investment which will Leave land devastated. Three are far more viable alternative greener options available now days then to be coal seam gas mining.
Tourism dies once a landscape is abused from mining.
This is not a long term economically viable plan for the region.
Please do not coal seam mine the Narravi area.

We should be funding renewable energy only.

This is a short submission. Because I am working on another campaign.

But this drilling must not proceed. It is inappropriate & should be replaced in a suitable area with suitable renewable energy.

1: Traditional owners are opposed
2: Farmers are opposed
3: Most people are opposed
4: Wildlife and our waterways are endangered
SO MUCH evidence points to it being unsafe

https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2017/02/18/pennsylvania-confirms-first-fracking-related-earthquakes/

I strongly object to this proposed CSG exploration

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.
- See more at: https://www.wilderness.org.au/final-push-pilliga#sthash.uhjsXJ7I.dpuf

Spare a thought for future, past your bank account - No Water - No Life, including yours!

This is environmental terrorism.

There are too many glaringly obvious reasons AGAINST this project going ahead for it to be considered beneficial on any level except perhaps in the financial short term (i.e. greed).

You cannot claim ignorance to the significant risks and the negative implications for our health, agriculture and the environment. You cannot pretend to know about the many, many times drinking water has been contaminated by coal seam gas.

The Narrabri gasfield poses a real risk to our two most precious water resources: the Great Artesian Basin and the Murray-Darling Basin.

Please listen to the people who live here, people who live all over Australia - people who you are bound to do your best by. As the government of NSW you are asked to care for the land itself and make decisions will that benefit the future - decisions made with integrity and the perspective that value is measured by so much more than money.