Narrabri Gas

I believe that CSG processes have not been proven to cause no harm to the environment. Until sufficient factual evidence is provided no further CSG wells should be commenced.

It is an absolute nonsense to want to extract more gas, while we are nearly giving it away overseas, without any benefit to the Australian people.
No more gas extractiion in Pillega.

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.

Please help protect the Pilliga now and for future generations.

Santos wants to place 850 coal seam gas wells in the heart of the Pilliga forest in North West New South Wales because it's their business to profit from fossil fuels
We know coal seam gas wells damage and pollute the landscape and any nearby groundwater. Not only do they damage our land and water, but people living near them get sick and gas is one of the fuels driving the demise of our whole planet by its contribution to climate change.
We should not be supporting industries that are destroying our world, instead we must invest in clean renewable energy sources, and quickly!
This is such a no brainer for anyone who has the wellbeing of our children and the planet at heart.

This is not required. A reserve should be put on all Gas and Oil suppliers in Australia for Local consumption as do many other countries. The amount of royalties being paid do not cover the extra costs to the country in the way of Gas prices which should be used for cars and electricity production. Stop the export of this critical product. Only allow export to that not required in Australia .

The government of New South Wales must prevent coal-seam (CSG) gas mining in the Piliga for the following, but not only those, reasons:-

1. The Piliga forms part of the recharge area for the Great Artesian Basin. CSG mining requires extremely large quantities of water which will be drawn out of the Artesian Basin. This water has collected underground over millenia and forms a vital resource for agriculture and environmental quality in the central regions of Australia. Using this water for flushing gas-containing rock is a vandalous waste of a precious resource which cannot be replaced on a human time frame.

2. CSG mining not only uses tremendous quantities of water, but in order to fracture the rock, highly polluting chemicals must be forced into the rock. These chemicals will pollute the Great Artesian Basin forever.

3. The Piliga currently consists of an intact ecosystem. It forms part of a stronghold for threatened woodland birds including the Glossy Black Cockatoo, Grey-crowned Babbler, Brown Treecreeper, Speckled Warbler, Varied Sittella, Little Lorikeet and Turquoise Parrot. The Pilliga forests protect a particularly important population of the iconic Barking Owl. Threatened mammals including the Koala, Squirrel Glider, Black-striped Wallaby, Corben's Long-eared Bat and the endemic Pilliga Mouse are all likely to be found in the Pilliga project area. The threatened Pale-headed Snake is one of more than 56 reptile species that is likely to occur in the Pilliga project area (see http://www.australianwildlife.org/sanctuaries/pilliga.aspx).

Furthermore, the Pilliga Forest is the largest remaining continuous remnant of semi-arid woodland in NSW, consisting of about 500,000 hectares of public bushland. The environment changes from cypress pine to ironbark to scribbly gum to box, and back again, interspersed with expansive heaths and a network of sandy creeks. The Pilliga is recognised as one of the most important areas for biodiversity in eastern Australia and is home to more than 350 species of birds, mammals, reptiles and frogs (see http://pilligaflora.blogspot.com.au).

CSG mining is death for the Piliga Forest by a thousand cuts. What will start off as a relatively few mine sites with interconnecting roads and pipework, will expand into an industrial type site where the integrity and continued viability of wildlife ecosystems will be destroyed.

4. The argument that Santos needs to drill in the Piliga because of insufficient gas supply is nonsense. As things stand already, Australia today is the world's largest CSG supplier. Shortages for domestic use result from the fact that CSG exporters can demand a higher price from customers than from domestic customers.

There is no doubt new energy resources need to be developed but CSG is deffinately NOT the answer especially when it can potentially pose a risk of damaging a very fragile and substantial ecosystem to a point where the damage will be irreversible.
Once it's gone it's gone !!!

Sirs, Coal seam gas fracking has proven to contaminate artesian waters in other countries.
Now we have the same situation arising here where the Great Artesian Basin is threatened.
This cannot happen for the prosperity of present and future generations.
Short term gains always lead to longer term sufferings.
Please do not allow this Narrabri Gas Project to proceed to the detriment of this whole country. PLEASE.
Sincerely
H.G.Blake
.

I am strongly opposed to Santos' application to mine in the Pilliga region. It seems that once again mining interests could prevail over our protection of the environment and the welfare of people working the land. In a time when we should be looking to make greater use of renewables, it would be a mistake for this project to go ahead.

The proposed Santos coal seam gas project poses danger to the Pilliga's invaluable ecosystems and rich cultural heritage. The damage caused by up to 850 gas wells and additional gas processing and water treatment facilities is incalculable to this pristine and irreplaceable environment. Australia is the largest exporter of natural gas, there is no 'gas crisis' and no need to mine the Pilliga.

The Pilliga forest is the only large inland remnant woodland forest remaining in all of the state of New South Wales.
Thus it supports much birdlife and other wildlife.
850 CSG wells will have a MASSIVE negative impact on the natural habitat due to the countless clearing for roads and gas sites that are planned.
There is also a huge impact on the already scarce ground water resources which have now been shown to be very vulnerable to chemical pollution from CSG drilling sites.
The Queensland evidence is overwhelmingly clear about this.
I have personally travelled through the Pilliga to enjoy walking and to view birdlife and natural features there. This remnant forest is clearly VISIBLE from most airplane flights as it is under the regular flight routes to Asia and beyond.

I oppose the development of coal seam gas extraction in the Pilliga State Forest. CSG mining is harmful through the production of large volumes of polluted water, and the damage to the forest environment through the construction of access roads, storage ponds, compression stations etc. and should not be allowed in a sensitive and valuable state forest.
There is no natural gas domestic supply emergency; demand for gas has been accentuated by the development of an export market, and the domestic market can be protected by legislation.

Coal Seam Gas is an unnecessary way to retrieve energy when the short and long term effects on surrounding land and water (from an ecological, residential and agricultural perspective) can not be reassured. Solar and wind energy as well as other new renewable energy technologies that are non-invasive on the land and water systems should be where infrastructure and technology is invested in Australia. It is time to progress on from coal and gas with their finite supplies and polluting processes. NSW should join Victoria in the progress towards total CSG ban or at least wait to see substantial research of long term effects. It's time now and the land and people of the Pilliga region deserve this security.
Let's focus on advancing and investing in clean, green, infinite energy.

I object to the Narrabri Gas Project. The environmental effect of such a vast network of gas wells will likely have a disastrous effect both above and below ground, affecting current and future biodiversity far beyond the Pilliga itself.
The potential costs of this project outweigh the short-term potential benefits, which will be directed to shareholders of Santos which will go on to bolster other projects that are questionable with a long term view.
The Precautionary Principle must be adhered to! Particularly where the benefits to current and future Australians and traditional owners are so few.

Stop making Profit on the shoulders of others. Spezialy not on those who can not defend themselves.

The Pilliga forest is the largest intact woodland in eastern Australia, stretching across half a million hectares in north-western New South Wales. It is a unique ecological refuge, home to 25 nationally listed and 48 state-listed threatened species, such as the Pilliga Mouse, which rely on the Pilliga for survival.

The sandstone under the Pilliga is a vital recharge area for the Great Artesian Basin, and creeks that flow through the Pilliga provide clean water into the Murray Darling Basin. These water sources are the lifeblood of farming communities throughout the southeast and inland Australia.

Allowing fracking in the Pillaga when it is such a vital recharge area for the Great Artesian Basin seems reckless in the extreme, what are inland communities meant to do when their water supplies are contaminated by the fracking chemicals and chemicals flushed from the coal seam?

And what about bushfires, these are a regular feature of the Pilliga, is there a credible plan to deal with fire, It seems unlikely and fires are only going to become more severe in the future.

I do not believe this is essential, Australia has plentiful natural gas, the risks in this project are just too high.

Coal seam gas mining is well known to be one of the most polluting and destructive industries there is.I totally object to the proposal of numerous gas wells in the Pilliga forest -to protect the endangered fauna and flora and to preserve it for generations hence.

I oppose the Narrabri Gas Project on the following grounds.
This project poses a risk of contamination in underground water within the Murray-Darling Basin and the Great Artesian Basin.
The people of the area do not want CSG in the Pilliga. Surveys show 96% opposed.
The impact on wildlife and the forest itself will be too great, with wellpads and other infrastructure impacting 95,000 hectares.
Many threatened species rely on the Pilliga for their survival and this forest is listed as a biodiverse hotspot.
CSG is a major contributor to climate change. The largest component of natural gas is methane which is 72 times more potent than CO2.
The fire risk from CSG operations in this very fire prone forest is intolerable.

It's the largest aquifer.

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.
- See more at: https://www.wilderness.org.au/final-push-pilliga#sthash.vSlmqd5u.dpuf

I object to gas fields in the Pilliga. The Narrabri Gas Project risks precious water sources, including the Great Australian Basin--Australia's largest groundwater aquifer.

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.


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.

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

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.

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.