Narrabri Gas

I am very concerned that this mining project could put at risk two very important water sources, the great artesian basin and the Murray darling basin. Even if there is just a small risk that gas mining could detrimentally affect water sources then that mining should not be allowed to go ahead. I am also concerned about the affect on bush wildlife that this project could have and the possibility that in extremely hot weather conditions the gas mining could start or exacerbate bush fires. Overall I am opposed to the mining project going ahead.

THe Pilliga forest is a critical element in the botanical structure of Australia. It includes trees that are significnat to the whole history of Austtalian geography especially Callitris and Aruacaria. They offer shelter to koalas and other improtant native speices. Do not allow the very temporary advantage of oil production to destroy the Vital long term contribution of the forest to the lives of our descendants

I am calling on you to reject the proposal by Santos to build gas wells in the Pilliga forest. 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. Additionally, 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. As well as that there are hundreds of cultural sites, and 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.
I urge you to give your full attention to these issues over profits in making your decision.

Sincerely Joanne Lowe

Coal seam gas is a hazardous operations that has proven to be out of control in many occasions around the world. Methane leaks are common and very destructive to our climate. How many witnessing videos of burning water do we have to see before we stop this practice?

The Pilliga is the largest temperate woodland left in the whole of Eastern Australia, we simply can't let Santos and our government get away with turning it into an industrial wasteland.

I urge the NSW government to follow Victoria in putting a moratorium on Coal Seam Gas drilling.

I wish to strenuously object to this proposal.
My reasons inter alia....

Extremely high risk to our most precious commodity...Water

Destruction of an outstanding forest and habitat area.

Substantial increase of methane which is a major contributor to global warming/climate change.

A short term project which has so much potential danger attached to it should not proceed.

I urge you to reject this proposal in the interests of our future.

David Lynch

I support the project because:
1) Utilisation of valuable resource - resulting in economic benefits locally and to the state as a whole
2) Supply of reliable energy source - households and businesses
3) Creation of jobs in regional NSW
4) Investment in regional NSW
5) Replacement source for the Cooper Basin
6) No pipeline to NSW from QLD
7) Vic has moratorium on CSG
8) Low environment impacts in comparison to benefits

I am appalled and opposed to the idea of allowing CSG in the Pillaga region.
It's a safe haven for wildlife which will be totally excluded by all the activity
It will damage almost beyond repair the water supplies in the region: the great artesian basin and the Murray-Darling
Coal Seam Gas is not substitute for moving to renewable resources and will continue to increase CO2 levels
The burning stacks will increase the bushfire hazard in the area in summer time
The whole concept really amounts to allowing private investors to rip off the Commons at the expense of the public.

Yours

I wish to strongly object to the proposal to build 850 coal seam gas wells in the Pilliga state forest, in the NSW north-west. This proposal will alter the ecology of the region and introduces risks to the health of the environment. Further, it essentially puts further wealth into the hands of Santos and its shareholders for little public benefit of Australians.

There are a variety of reasons, including the major one of contributing to further climate change, that need to be considered. These include the risks to water, the objections of traditional owners of the land, the increased risk of fire, and the changes that will inevitably occur for wildlife and the ecology of the region.

I would urge a conservative approach to this proposal and any others like it, because we need to act as custodians of the land we still have rather than exploit it for short-term gain.

This proposed gas project will produce gas at an unnecessary cost to the environment. Current natural gas production facilities are exporting a more than adequate supply of gas to meet this country's needs. Profit from the proposed facility will go overseas.

How come other countries are all for renewable energy and oppose environmental degradation while Australian Politicians only think of money in their pockets that doesn't even benefit the people that live here. The idea is disgusting and the corporations and government are dispicable. I wonder what your children will say when the water is polluted and the flora and fauna are poisoned? Will you tell them that you voted for it and are the reason for the disaster?

I am seriously concerned about CSG wells in the largest temperate woodland left in the whole of eastern Australia, which is home to many threatened species who depend on this area for survival, such as the Koala, Wallaby, Pigmy Possum, and a host of woodland birds close to extinction in the wild. The Pilliga is a national biodiversity hotspot, and a gas mine would seriously threaten it's viability to support our precious wildlife.

This project is also of major concern as CSG fields contribute to climate change through the leakage of methane during the production, transport, processing and use of coal seam gas.

Another point of concern is 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.
Clean water is far more important than Gas, as we can proceed to more renewable sources of energy, but cannot survive without clean water.

Another point is the real risk of more bushfires, as the Methane flare stacks would be running all the time, even in total fire ban days. It is a risk we cannot allow, as the area is already subject to too many fires.

And the traditional owners of the land should also be considered...I don't believe we have the right to take from the land without their approval, and I believe they are totally against this project.

Thank you for allowing me to submit these considered views.

I object to the proposed CSG well development as proposed by Santos in the Pilliga State Forest as in the EIS for the Narrabri Project for the following reasons:
It endangers threatened species of wildlife;
It adversely affects climate change by emission of CO2 equivalents (or more so) by leaking methane gas which always occurs in practice;
It will contaminate water resources;
It is understood that indigenous cultural values may be affected and is opposed by the Traditional Owners.

I oppose the Santos application on the following grounds:
1. It is safe 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.

2. 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.

3. It risks our clean water
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.

4. 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.

5. Bushfire risk will rise
Methane flare stacks up to 50m high would be running day and night, even on total fire ban days. The Pilliga is already prone to severe bushfires, this project will increase the risk of ignition.

I am objecting to the development of a CSG field in the Pilliga region onn a number of grounds
1. We are a nation with limited water supplies and we need to conserve this scarce resource especially for human consumption and use in the agriculture sector. The CSG field will adversely affect the quality of the water it uses. This cannot be replaced. Consequently CSG is a no go.
2. The proposed Pilliga field is located in a bushfire prone area. The flare stacks will be running continuously at all times of the year and will greatly increase the likelihood of a bushfire.
3. the methane gas that will be produced is a large contributory factor in worsening the effects of adverse climatic conditions.
On these 3 issues alone a reasonable person would conclude that the proposed CSG field should not be allowed to come to fruition.
In addition, the local indigenous people are opposed to the project. We should support their views and not pander to the whims of corporations (even though they may be Australian).Corporate objectives are solely driven by profit, and not in the interests of the larger community. They have to be re-educated to ensure that other options for making a profit are readily available, such as more investment in renewable energy sources.

Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission.

This must NOT go ahead. Wildlife and precious habitat will be destroyed - as well as putting our water supply at risk. We need to be transitioning to renewable/green energy. I say a big NO to this submission.

I oppose the Pilliga CSG project.
Coal Seam Gas contributes to global warming and climate change.
The Pilliga is a haven for threatened wildlife and they must be protected.
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.
Tradional custodians object to the development. 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.

I object most strongly to Santos or any other Company drilling for and exploiting the Pilliga region for gas. Both here and in Canada I have seen massive destruction of local areas from mining Companies in the wake of their attempts to extract gas. The ground is rarely able to recover and mostly is not capable of being used for any other purpose.

This project cannot go ahead for many reasons. Number one is that the traditional owners do not want it. Then there are the numerous environmental reasons.

Coal seam gas fuels are dangerous causes of 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 mining production, transport, processing and use of coal seam gas. Leaking of methane at the well is difficult to monitor without specialist equipment and we cannot trust the mining contractors to self monitor and report accurately to the government

The Pilliga coal seam gas project is a disaster for our climate, local bushland and wildlife and for the Traditional Owners and farmers who call the region home.
This land is located over The Great Artesian Basin and should not be tampered with in any way that can affect the artesian basin which is the livelihood of everyone living on this land, as the only reliable source of water.
1. It is safehaven 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.
2. 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.
3. It risks our clean water
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.
4. 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.
5. Bushfire risk will rise
Methane flare stacks up to 50m high would be running day and night, even on total fire ban days. The Pilliga is already prone to severe bushfires, this project will increase the risk of ignition. The Pilliga is a dry area of pine trees, a high fire risk area.
This is a state forest, it seems that the preservation of state forests and public land means nothing to this government.