Narrabri Gas

1. Coal seam gas compromises human health and fuels dangerous climate change -
Methane (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. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 72 times more powerful than CO2.
Hydrocarbons and other volatile organic compounds released from coal seam gas operations, can cause eye, nose and airway irritation, headache, nausea, dizziness and loss of coordination. These impacts have been documented in human populations nearby to existing gasfields in Queensland, Sydney and in America.

2. 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.
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.

3. 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.

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 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.

NO 850 COAL SEAM GAS AT PILLIGIA FOREST

I object to the Narrabri Gas Project for the following reasons:
1.The gas project poses a genuine risk to water sources, including the Great Australian Basin--Australia's largest groundwater aquifer.

2.There is strong opposition to the current users o fthe Pilliga - farmers and indigenous communities eg the Gamilaraay traditional custodians

3. The past history of spills and leaks of toxic CSG water by Santos managed projects in the Pilliga

4. the genuine threat to wildlife in the area - including threatened species of native mammals.
5. The proven threat to the environment and the contribution to climate change by use of coal seam gas.
6. The risk of light and dust pollution produced by the Narrabri Gas Project compromising the work of the Siding Springs Observatory located adjacent to thePilliga

I strongly object to the drilling of more coal seam gas wells in the Pilliga Forest, and into The Great Artesian Basin.
It is madness to continue this project, which will destroy the Pilliga Forest, as well as inevitably pollute The Great Artesian Basin, which is of the greatest importance to Australia as a source of a huge quantity of previously unpolluted water, of enormous value in our dry continent now experiencing climate change, with rising temperatures, the likelihood of severe droughts and the drying up of rivers, lakes and water storages.
And all this just to export the gas to make money for some company that probably doesn't even pay tax in Australia.

Once again our government proposes another development that would threaten, exploit and harm our natural environment.

The risks and impacts of such proposals cannot be understated:

This operation would pose significant threats to both the Great Artesian Basin and the Murray-Darling Basin. Water extraction, contamination from operating drilling equipment and high salt output would cause harm and damage to these precious water sources that provide vital sustenance to local communities, local wildlife and potentially all Australians.

Multiple cultural sites connected to the Gamilaraay Traditional Custodians span the location of the proposed CSG development. The Gamilaraay people remain opposed to this and all other CSG development proposals on culturally significant land. This sentiment is shared by local farmers and communities - spanning 3.2 million hectares of country surrounding the Pilliga forest - who have protested the development of this and other CSG development proposals for their obvious environmental impacts.

Regarding Santos Energy, the EPA has expressed concern with Santos Operations in the past, resulting in the issuance of two legally binding Pollution Reduction Programs (PRPs) (Source: http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/epamedia/EPAMedia15051501.htm). Santos Energy cannot guarantee that such a large scale operation would be free of incidents or environmental impacts.

The Santos gasfield would disrupt 95,000 hectares of the Pilliga with newly built roads, buildings, pipes, and sound and light sources. The pilliga is one of fifteen nationally listed 'bio-diversity' hotspots and is home to several threatened species including the Koala, Spotted-tailed Quoll, Black-striped Wallaby, Eastern Pygmy-possum, Pilliga Mouse and South-eastern Long-eared Bat. The area is also home to over two hundred of bird species who rely on the Pilliga forests and natural landscape for their survival.

The Pilliga is already prone to severe bush fires. Introducing hazardous gas wells - including methane flare stacks and the extraction, transport and storage of highly flammable resources - introduces risks that could prove devastating to an already vulnerable forest.

I hope these reasons and others may allow for consideration of the potential implications of the Narrabri Gas Project and why it may be fundamentally harmful to one of Australia's many wonderful natural landscapes. Thanks you.

Information sourced from: https://www.wilderness.org.au/final-push-pilliga?

To whom it may concern,

I am writing on behalf of all future generations to ask that the Piliga forest be protected from mining.

With the love of the highest principle, I invite you to do what is right... not from what you think - but from what you know to be TRUE in your heart.

Sincerely,
Ms Iona Jones

Stop all environmental threatening projects of a similar nature

CSG extraction in the Pilliga must not happen for the following reasons:
1. For the future of the world the fossil fuels must remain in the ground;
2. Other CSG extractions have caused serious leakage of methane - a powerful greenhouse gas;
3. Fracturing the coal seam is likely to fracture the impervious layers that hold the gas in;
4. Secret (probably dangerous) fluids are injected into the coal with dangerous leakage into the aquifers;
5. It is a crime to destroy pristine forest for short term profit;
6. Multinational companies are prepared to destroy the world so long as their profits are not at risk.

On several grounds it is peculiar, nay, absurd that Santos should want to wreck parts of the Pilliga Forest in order to produce gas.

1. Given the huge amount of deforestation occuring across Earth surely Santos should be working for Pillaga protection, extension & restoration, not destruction.
2. Why wreck parts of the Pilliga for gas when we already export huge amounts? Where will the Pilliga gas go? Overseas so that we have further energy crises in Australia?
3. Biodiversity underpins our economy & our lifestyles. Surely Santos should be working to protect our economy & lifestyles through Pilliga protection, not Pilliga pilfering.
4. There are many questions about the environmental efficacy of drilling for gas, particularly adjacent to food production areas. The cautionary principle needs to be adopted by banning Pilliga gas drilling. To allow Santos to drill in the Pilliga would be to promote a radical, hooligan-style approach to the Pilliga & the environment rather than a more conservative stewardship of this valuable part of Australia.

I strongly object to the Narrabri Gas Project for a number of reasons.

The Project risks damage to valuable water resources , including the Great Australian Artesian Basin aquifer.
Extensive community surveys show an overwhelming level of opposition to the Project, with unprecedented protest action. As a resident in the area during my early childhood, I have a special feeling for the region, & concern for any damage caused by such developments..
Narrabri Gas has a poor environmental record with a history of spills & toxic leakages..

Furthermore, the issue of safe disposal of the thousands of tonnes of salt which would be generated by the project has not been resolved.

I live on Mount Glorious, just west of Brisbane. It is covered in rainforest, dry forest, and is home to a great deal of wildlife who thrive in this area. If Santos decided to put 850 coal seam gas wells in this area, I would fight them every step of the way, as would every other resident. I'm adding my voice to this project assessment to show support for the residents of Narrabri who oppose the project.

The Northern Rivers region of NSW has been fighting for years to keep their lands free from CSG, and with good reason. These farming regions rely on healthy soils, healthy air and healthy water, and CSG threatens each of these necessities. Santos argues in their Environmental Impact Statement that "the Project can proceed safely with minimal and manageable risk to the environment", and "development of new natural gas resources is crucial in assisting Australia's move towards a clean energy future." It is hard to believe you can label something 'clean energy' when it requires taking resources from deep underground and releasing them into the atmosphere. Have we not learnt any lessons from coal and oil? Future energy needs to come from solar, wind and hydro, not more carbon emitting resources.

The reliance on coal is coming to an end. We are slowly transitioning towards the kind of sustainable future we need. Projects such as this don't have a place in the present, or the future. Governments and councils need to clearly state their opposition to such developments, to ensure we have a healthy environment and healthy future.

I am opposed to fracking in the Pilliga by Santos for the following reasons :
Destruction of pristine forest
Poisoning of groundwater by toxic chemicals
Release of huge amounts of greenhouse gas
Polluting of the environment ,including waterways , by toxic effluent from the fracking process
Visual pollution from the ugly fracking sites themselves.

All of my concerns are proven valid by the behaviour of existing fracking sites , for example in North Queensland, so I ask you to take them into account when considering this development and reject it completely . Thank you Raymond Hallatt

I find it absolutely appalling that the people who have accepted the responsibility of leading the people of Australia are prepared to treat the people of Australia as a throwaway resource.

It has been proven beyond doubt that 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 coordination.

These impacts have been documented in human populations nearby to existing gasfields in Queensland, Sydney and in America.

Source - Marion Carey Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA), Air pollution from coal seam gas may put public health at risk The Conversation, November 20, 2012

And 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.

Source - SoilFutures 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

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.

Source - http://www.smh.com.au/environment/santos-coal-seam-gas-project-contaminates-aquifer-20140307-34csb.html #sthash.5Urq1jrL.dpuf

The Narrabri Gas Project carries substantial risks for the precious Great Artesian Basin. The proposed area for drilling is in the area that recharges the basin. There is the potential for contamination of water sources that feed the Murray Darling system. Santos has already contaminated a freshwater aquifer in the Pilliga region. The heart of Australia's water.
Santos has no solution for disposing of the thousands of tonnes of salt that will be produced.
There is the increased risk of fire in the region.
Water is a necessity - gas is not.
In addition the traditional custodians of this area (the Gamilaraay) oppose the gas project and the drilling for cultural and practical reasons. Their voices need to be heard and respected.
The local farming community are also opposed to the gas project.
The Pilliga region is also listed as a hot spot for biodiversity including a number of threatened species. The destruction of habitat is inevitable if the drilling progceeds
This project has the potential to add to climate change problems.
This project should not go ahead.

The precautionary principle, by now a well established legal principle in planning and environmental law around the world, mandates that if you do not know the harmful effects of a project, lack of scientific certainty is a grounds for considering the refusal of that project.

Even if this principle is not enlivened in the process of determining this project, the impact that it will have on the Pilliga scrub and the Great Artesian Basin alone ought to be sufficient to warrant refusal. As we move towards a carbon constrained future, projects such as this one with immeasurable fugitive emissions should not be allowed to proceed. There is no gas shortage in this country, and the NSW Government should refuse consent and instead focus on delivering clean energy to its citizens with a focus on renewable energy projects such as large scale PV and WEFs.

I totally oppose the Great Artesian Basin being poisoned by CSG wells drilled through the heart of the Pilliga forest. We must preserve these sensitive areas for future generations.

To whom it may concern,

I wish to register my objection to Santos' Narrabri Gas Project in the Pilliga. I visited the Pilliga region with my family in 2015. It is dry and stark but a very beautiful and special part of Australia. I can't imagine how badly having 850 coal seam gas wells drilled through this area will affect not only the environment and the local fauna, but also the local communities and the Gamilaraay people, the traditional custodians of the area. The risk of fires in this area alone makes me shudder.

Please, listen to the people of the local community and those of us who appreciate the Pilliga region, do not allow this project to go ahead.

Kind Regards

T Barlow

1. The Narrabri Gas Project

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 areasÃ,Â--potentially stopping the free flow of waters to the surface at springs and bores across the whole Great Artesian Basin.Ã,¹

Creeks in the Pilliga run into the Namoi RiverÃ,Â--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 waterÃ,Â--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 bariumÃ,². 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 Ã,Â`biodiversity hotspotsÃ,Â' 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 AreaÃ,². The Santos gasfield would fragment 95,000 hectares of the Pilliga with well pads, roads, and water and gas pipelinesÃ,Â--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 COÃ,². 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 nationÃ,Â'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 Ã,Â`dark sky parkÃ,Â'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 PilligaÃ,Â'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.


Ã,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
Ã,²http://www.smh.com.au/environment/santos-coal-seam-gas-project-contaminates-aquifer-20140307-34csb.html
Ã,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

I object to this application on a number of grounds.
1. This project is a real threat to underground water supplies and there is a real threat to contamination. This is way too great a risk to take with our children's heritage.

2. Farmers oppose this project.

3. Satos has a very dubious safety record when it comes to protecting aquifers.

4. Waste. How it will be treated and the legacy it leaves on the environment.

5. the threat to wildlife

6. The threat to people who live close to these wells.

I am against Santos' Narrabri Gas Project to help end CSG in NSW once and for all.