Narrabri Gas

Coal seam gas is a horrible idea, you muppets. the environmental damage to the Great Artesian Basin and the local forest is the worst outcome.

Don't let this idiotic planning happen

Totally against Coal Seam Gas and any Company or Government
that aproves of it. they will sacrifise our water,our farms, and our farmers for ther profit

I am against any mining in areas where water and fauna may be damaged

There is enough evidence to show this type of project is wrong

Please say no to coal seam gas. It is to dangerous to the environment. Thank you.

Making a submission to stop the Santos company.

CSG drilling is doing immeasurable damage to and threatening the water supplies of the Great Artesian Basin. Some common sense and prudence needs to be applied to protect our environment and our future food and water supplies.

please rethink your short sighted revenue raising plan, it has a great deal more impact than you are considering, continuing investment in fossil fuels, and fossil fuel development is insane, we must invest in renewables, in preservation of what we have, rather than destruction of what we will not have for long. our despicable self-serving, dishonest governments have to wake the hell up, your days are numbered, all of our days are numbered, stop making it your purpose to ruin the lives of everyone in the future too, people will not stand for it for long.

I object to it

I would like to make an urgent submission against the Narrabri Gas Project because of the serious environmental risks involved. Santos is currently circling the toilet, and cannot be trusted for this project or any other! It is a project that has so many drawbacks and uncertainties, the negatives keep on stacking, and it is completely unfounded seeing as NSW has no gas shortage anyway. Does environmental contamination mean nothing? Is the importanance of forest ecology totally ignored? When will our politicians start taking a stand for our people and our land, and not just corporate profits?! Find a backbone, and shut this down! The term 'development' and 'growth' is misleading... raping the earth for resources is digging humanity into a hole we will not be able to climb out of. Not in my name!

This coal project is a danger for the environment and the people, as a result IT SHOULD NOT BE APPROVED AND NEITHER DONE

Coal seam gas wells in the Pilliga simply does not make sense--unless you wish to sacrifice the future of your grandchildren for monetary considerations only. The NSW artesian base is the largest and deepest in the world. Coal seam drilling would directly foul recharge waters, thereby causing this pristine groundwater to be polluted in entirety. In light of this, and against the wishes of 93% of the people in New South Wales, why would you consider sacrificing the water vital for life in order to line your pockets? Australia is an exporter of gas, which means domestic needs are already exceeded. Please, for the sake of future generations, abandon your plans for coal seam mining. Thank you.

Destruction of the artesian basin for short term profit is not an option.

Why such short sighted thinking? Renewable-Energy IS happening and will be the cheapest and cleanest in the near future. Please protect our basins.

Dear Minister,

Please end CSG exploration in NSW. There are too many proven renewable alternatives to continue allowing CSG to occur. The risks associated with CSG are too significant to continue allowing exploration in farming areas also. The community should be heard on this one.

Sincerely

Fracking throughout Australia is a cruel and unusual punishment to a world which is doing its best to keep us alive, despite our best efforts.
The Pilliga NP is textbook Australian scrub which holds beauty, character and a link to the rugged and unique style and culture of the average Australian.

I oppose the introduction of this fracking mine site as it will irreversibly impact on the bush land, its native wildlife and cause ongoing effects to the local and global environment.

I object to the fossil fuel industries. Full stop.

I am in total disagreement with Fracking. The proposed allowance of any gas company, and the nominated santos decision to mine gas in the Pilbara region should be overturned.
The proposal to devistate the area of NARABRI with this drilling is unthinkable. BAN DRILLING

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 am just an ordinary Australian who is becoming increasingly concerned about what is happening to our country and its natural resources. Now retired I travel this wonderful land with my husband and we see the changes that are happening and the effects that projects like the one proposed have. We are told that things like the water table will not be effected but farmers who are the ones mainly effected say differently.
As already stated I am just an ordinary citizen but felt I needed to express my concern when I read about this project. I am strongly against projects like this that do affect the natural environment and in turn the farms and properties that we rely on to supply our food.