Narrabri Gas

The country is for future generations, not the pockets of greedy businessmen! The government has the task of protecting the country's future, not selling it off to the highest bidder! No to the rape and exploitation of the environment!!

I have studied the effects of Coalseam Gas Mining in the USA and am horrified by the negative, environment destructive results that were piublished.
Why would we repeat the process in Australia,especially in areas above the Artesian Basins. That water supply is crucial to the wellbeing of those who occupy it. Their livelihoods depend on the health of such waters; not to mention the wellbeing of native animals and vegetation.
Why would we risk such devastating consequences for temporal monetary gain?
There are many better, safer energy sources that could be set up. Solar power, wind and solid coal produced power provided it uses techniques that cause minimal pollution.
I ask the Government to reject this project and keep the Artesian Basins off limits to gas mining.

This proposal is madness! Approval should be denied on the basis of unacceptable environmental risk. All the conditions under the sun could not render the risk acceptable. Fugitive emissions alone are sufficient to render the project risk unacceptable. Do what is right for the environment and future generations and reject this project outright. Anything short of an outright rejection is a sell-out, a political and commercial rip-off of the planning system, our natural resources (clean air and water) and our natural environment.

STOP THIS CSG MADNESS AND BIN THIS PROPOSAL!!

There is plenty of evidence that coal seem gas extraction is of high risk and the consequences of contamination of the environment is irreversible. Taking this into consideration, unless the company and government can give a guarantee the process is 100% safe for the people and environment in the area I object to this project by Santos going ahead.

I don't believe any coal seam gas development work should go ahead, as there is not enough known about the possible effects on underground water tables in particular. The coal seam gas drill sites also have significant negative effects on the food producing capacity of in a lot of cases prime agriculture land. The most valuable resources we will have in future years is our ability to produce good, clean food, and to have a clean, secure fresh water supply. We must always remember the Earth doesn't need us, but we need the Earth.

I grew up on a property between Narrabri and Wee Waa and spent many a day on the Namoi river catching fish, camping and swimming.
I still go home and appreciate the beauty we have in the area. I now live on the coast BUT home will always be HOME.
I do not agree with the mining that is taking place in the area. We need to think of the future of our country, our rivers, our fresh air and our health.
We must protect the beautiful Pilliga, the Artesian Water, the Future of our farms, food, water and children.

This project will damage viable agricultural country

I object to the Narrabri Gas Project for the following reasons.

The area of the gas project is the site of the recharge of the Great Artesian Basin. Any gas wells here may greatly reduce the amount of water in the Basin due to the water extraction in the mining process.As well, the Great Artesian Basin may become contaminated with chemicals used in the fracking process. Thus not only agriculture in NSW will be put at risk but also flora and fauna in general in NSW may be devastated due to gas mining induced drought.

In the name of climate change and public health there appears no justification for this industry to continue.
Paris conference has become law and it and the health of this nation should be respected, be it water, air quality, people, animals and the environment.

06/03/2017

I object to any State or Federal lands being used for coal seam gas exploration and/or extraction of such resources. I see it as my duty as a citizen of Australia to protect these forests and nature reserves for future generations to enjoy.

The NSW Government is elected to serve and represent the voice of it's PEOPLE. If More than 90 per cent of people oppose the Narrabri Gas proposal - then why is it going ahead?

Use the precious land for tourism, education - something positive than destruction and contamination.

Why we don't use renewable energy is beyond me.
We THE PEOPLE don't want a coal seam gas field with 850 well over twenty years.

Please listen to your constituents.

Lisa Matthews
Ilford NSW 2850

This submission has been written to draw attention to the unacceptable impacts of Santos current plan with light pollution from their upcoming 850 gaswells and flares near Siding Spring Observatory. It is a simple solution, as recommended by the NSW EPA to enclose all flares, not just for emissions and cleaner burning, but also to reduce the amount of unnecessary light pollution from giant flames lighting the night sky.
Siding Spring Observatory is Australia's only unique science research facility using the largest optical telescopes for astrophysics and astronomy. First established in Coonabarabran NSW, on the Warrumbungle Ranges in the 1960's it was built here because of the dark skies in this region. While there is historic value of this site from telescopes established over 50 years ago, this observatory hosts the largest optical telescopes from national and international universities and research entities. Not only hosting the largest, this site hosts the second, third, fourth, fifth largest telescopes etc in Australia, playing a key role in science research across the Southern Hemisphere. Over 50 telescopes are listed across the site being used by over 30 universities, institutions and private businesses using cutting edge technology, with some of the most advanced telescopes being used is astrophysical research. Future plans include another 50 telescopes to be built on site within the next decade. All this is reliant on keeping the dark sky dark! If this area was to lose the dark sky, this observatory would not be replicated again in Australia, but moved elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere.
From 2013 onwards light emissions from the Santos gasfield exploration have increased to the point that, just the Bibblewindi large flare and unmanned facility alone, creates more light pollution than the entire town of nearby Coonabarabran with over 3500 people residing there. Santos have listed plans to triple the amount of pilot flares and double the amount of large flares including constructing 50 metre high flare stacks, with an average 30 metre high flame above it. Nowhere do they list the EPAs recommended practice to enclose flares, as has been done in NSW areas such as Gloucester. Enclosing flares is the only acceptable mitigation to protect the scientific community from the unnecessary light pollution they plan to emit. Siding Spring Observatory already has to deal with light pollution from existing mining and regional towns. Even Sydney itself, from over 400kms away can affect research from its light glow. Santos are a lot closer than this. Every bit of extra light pollution is making it more difficult to continue the leading scientific research, and while each pollute in different levels, most consider they aren't doing any damage. But it's the combination with the existing light sources, adding a cumulative effect which is becoming worse as more pollution is created.
In summary, this is a simple fix in this case, as while Santos building infrastructure is willing to comply with shielded lights for buildings, they need to go a step further and enclose all current and future flares as the NSW EPA recommend. It is the only acceptable solution.

Yours truly,
Roisin Allen

I object to the Narrabri Gas Project and believe it should be rejected.

The water removed from the ground by Santos will be treated, but this creates another problem: what to do with the salt? Peak salt production at Narrabri CSG will be 115 tonnes per day, or two and a half B-double truckloads per day. In the peak year, this would mean the creation of 41,900 tonnes of salt for disposal, which Santos says will take place in landfill

I urge the Government to reject this project and make the Great Artesian Basin recharge off limits to gas mining.

Signed,
Sally Kennedy

I strongly object to all CSG projects on the grounds that they are environmentally unsound ways of procuring energy abs that there are more environmentally responsible and economical sound ways of delivering our energy needs.
ALL finite resources are unsustainable, whereas renewable energy can and will deliver reliable economically viable energy in the long term.
ALL fossil fuel energy contributes to climate change which I'd an economic and environmental disaster growing at CSG rates and creating huge problems for future generations.
There is a growing body of evidence showing that renewable energy is a viable alternative to fossil fuels and all our efforts and our government funding should be directed towards future proofing our energy needs through renewables, not CSG out any other fossil fuel.

I am writing to record my official objection to the CSG proposal by Santos for the Pilliga forest area. This pristine environment should warrant close attention and protection by government agencies. Furthermore, drilling into the Great Artesian Basin is criminal. The health of Australians, both current and future generations, as well as the health of the environmental ecosystem cannot uphold this gross violation. There is no justification. For instance, NSW has demonstrated no evidence of strong job growth and no meaningful economic upturn as a result of similar projects. Renewable energy sources are available as reliable and viable alternatives to CSG, they are economically better options in both financial and health forecasting over the next 20 years as well as their relative environmental impact. In summary I am strongly against the Narrabri Gas Project - cease and desist from the idea of sinking wells in the Pilliga.

No CSG wells should operate in Australia EVER ! Check out the film " Gas Land " to see what fate has in store !

I am opposed to Santos's Narrabri Gas Project. My wife and I visited the Pilliga last year and learnt just how important the area is for wildlife and its significance to the Gamilaraay traditional custodians of this land. We also learnt about the devastating effects of the bushfires there, from which they are still trying to recover. The methane poses a serious risk of igniting and causing bushfires. This is unacceptable. Furthermore, the NSW Government needs to listen to the people of whom the vast majority oppose CSG extraction. It is about time it was banned. The risks to the Great Artesian Basin are too great to even think of drilling in this area just to make Santos rich. Australia is already feeling the effects of global warming and drilling for CSG will exacerbate the problem. Finally, the Warrumbungle Observatory, is a unique area from which to get clear views of the night sky and it attracts huge numbers of visitors. People are worried that the giant gas flames burning all night is going to spoil this. If this project goes ahead it is going to have devastating effects on the rural communities.

To whom it may concern,
This submission has been written to draw attention to the unacceptable impacts of Santos current plan with light pollution from their upcoming 850 gaswells and flares near Siding Spring Observatory. It is a simple solution, as recommended by the NSW EPA to enclose all flares, not just for emissions and cleaner burning, but also to reduce the amount of unnecessary light pollution from giant flames lighting the night sky.
Siding Spring Observatory is Australia's only unique science research facility using the largest optical telescopes for astrophysics and astronomy. First established in Coonabarabran NSW, on the Warrumbungle Ranges in the 1960's it was built here because of the dark skies in this region. While there is historic value of this site from telescopes established over 50 years ago, this observatory hosts the largest optical telescopes from national and international universities and research entities. Not only hosting the largest, this site hosts the second, third, fourth, fifth largest telescopes etc in Australia, playing a key role in science research across the Southern Hemisphere. Over 50 telescopes are listed across the site being used by over 30 universities, institutions and private businesses using cutting edge technology, with some of the most advanced telescopes being used is astrophysical research. Future plans include another 50 telescopes to be built on site within the next decade. All this is reliant on keeping the dark sky dark! If this area was to lose the dark sky, this observatory would not be replicated again in Australia, but moved elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere.
From 2013 onwards light emissions from the Santos gasfield exploration have increased to the point that, just the Bibblewindi large flare and unmanned facility alone, creates more light pollution than the entire town of nearby Coonabarabran with over 3500 people residing there. Santos have listed plans to triple the amount of pilot flares and double the amount of large flares including constructing 50 metre high flare stacks, with an average 30 metre high flame above it. Nowhere do they list the EPAs recommended practice to enclose flares, as has been done in NSW areas such as Gloucester. Enclosing flares is the only acceptable mitigation to protect the scientific community from the unnecessary light pollution they plan to emit. Siding Spring Observatory already has to deal with light pollution from existing mining and regional towns. Even Sydney itself, from over 400kms away can affect research from its light glow. Santos are a lot closer than this. Every bit of extra light pollution is making it more difficult to continue the leading scientific research, and while each pollute in different levels, most consider they aren't doing any damage. But it's the combination with the existing light sources, adding a cumulative effect which is becoming worse as more pollution is created.
In summary, this is a simple fix in this case, as while Santos building infrastructure is willing to comply with shielded lights for buildings, they need to go a step further and enclose all current and future flares as the NSW EPA recommend. It is the only acceptable solution.
Please look after our local observatory.
Thanks,
Susanne Donoghue

Dear Sir/Madam,

CSG is a dangerous process that is likely to severely impact on the environment and particularly on our water supplies. Toxic chemicals are pumped into the ground and could destroy the agricultural viability of large tracts of land. This is a significant treat to the Pilliga .

Fracking can also disturb the integriiy of the rock layers that it disturbs and there is no guarantee that entire water supplies will not be destroyed by leakage through these layers. Towns in the US now need water carted in to them to supply the residents with water following CSG.

No science has proven the process to be safe.

Please use common sense and reject this submission..

Yours faithfully,
Judith Cousins

Dear Premier and Government of new South Wales.

The history of CSG is littered with destruction to the environment...spills of gases and liquids into the air, land and water. Our ever diminishing arable farmlands are being destroyed by a death of a thousand cuts. Forests, the habitat of precious and in some cases rare and endangered species are being polluted and destroyed.

Here is a link to demonstrate the destructive impacts of CSG in Queensland. http://www.csgfreenorthwest.org.au/qlds_story

This should not happen in New South Wales, or any other State or Territory of Australia.

Gas for domestic consumption should be allocated from the enormous amount that is currently being exported from major projects especially in WA. Not only would this be a 'common sense' approach to energy security for Australia, the cost of this gas could be pegged to ensure that the energy supply is affordable for industrial and domestic use and that Australian industry remains competitive. This requires long-term strategic thinking on many levels...for the community, health of the environment (air, land, water - the things that sustain human life) and our economic well-being.

Destruction of the Pilliga and lands surrounding Narrabri is not in the best interests of the people of New South Wales and Australia.

I strongly object to this proposed project.

Rob Cleary
3 Kintorie Crescent
Toormina NSW 2452
7 March 2017.