Narrabri Lateral Pipeline

I fully support the Narrabri gas project for the following reasons. Anyone who thinks Net Zero is working for this country is completely delusional, energy prices are destroying jobs and businesses on a daily basis. Gas is essential as a feedstock for industry.
We need gas for fertilizer production for the food industry, the explosives industry for mining, plastic and chemical production.
Gas is three times more expensive in Australia than the US , this makes our industries uncompetitive. Some farmers seem to oppose the gas pipeline, I find this hypocritical as Urea fertilizer is made with gas. The gas from this project is for domestic use in Australia which is desperately needed. This project needs to be built ASAP.

The project EIS is incomplete plus the public has been given too little time to review and understand it. Extracting gas from the Pilliga risks damaging the Great Artesian Basin which is essential for nearby communities and food production for Australia. This project is putting profit ahead of an inhabitable planet. Santos's greed is widely recognised as being behind Australias gas supply problems and approving this project would reward this behaviour. I believe strongly this project should not proceed.

Submission on the Narrabri Lateral Pipeline.

Justification
The NSW Net Zero commission has clearly stated that NSW consent authorities need to meaningfully consider greenhouse gas emissions and their impacts in all planning decisions.
The National Climate Risk Assessment, shows that Australia is facing devastating environmental and economic consequences as a result of climate change – and fossil fuels are the cause.
Last month Australia and 23 other countries committed to a transition away from fossil fuels in the Brazilian city of Belém.
The argument that we need more gas to meet our domestic demand is clearly false. We export around 80% of our gas and enough of that is uncontracted and could be redirected to the domestic market by a sensible government policy. We are rapidly moving away from gas for domestic use and although peaking gas plants will be required to stabilise our energy grid for a while yet they actually use quite small volumes of gas.
The portable gas import terminal at Wollongong has been mothballed because of lack of demand.
At this point in time this project is clearly not justifiable.
Biodiversity and environmental impacts
The Pilliga Forest is a place of enormous environmental importance and is a recharge zone for the Great Artesian Basin.
Construction will clear 168 hectares of forest and will cut a 30 metre wide swathe through the Pilliga East forest, causing serious damage for microbats and small mammals.
It will clear habitat and put at risk threatened species that have strongholds in the Pilliga, like the Pilliga Mouse, Eastern pygmy possum, and Corben’s Long-eared Bat.
It is claimed that it will go under Bohena creek. Bohena creek is a subterranean creek. How deep will it need to go to avoid disturbing the sub surface flow and the associated alluvial groundwater?
The gas field and the pipeline should have been considered together. The cumulative impacts are such that the reduce the Pilliga forest to a patchwork of disconnected islands peppered with industrial infrastructure.
Indigenous Culture.
I have been to the Pilliga and visited some of the culturally significant sites. Our treatment of these sites as small, isolated patches to preserve, fails to recognise that they are frequently significant because of the context and landscape of the surrounding area and cannot be considered in isolation. As an example, the whole of the Bohena creek is sacred to the Gomeroi yet I cannot see its significance mentioned anywhere in the EIS.
We suggest that the intrinsic value of the intact Pilliga forest and farmland is worth far more than boosting Santos profits while further endangering us from increased risks due to accelerated climate change.
Thank you
Lynn Benn for Knitting Nannas Hunter Loop

Please refer to the attached letter of support for the project.

The Unions NSW Pilliga Campaign Committee express our strong opposition to Santos proposed pipeline project, which threatens both the environment and the cultural heritage of the Gomeroi people. This pipeline is not just an infrastructure project, it represents a direct assault on the land that holds deep spiritual, social, and cultural significance for the Gomeroi community.
The Pilliga region is recognised for its vital cultural resources, particularly Bohena Creek. The National Native Title Tribunal has emphasised that this waterway is central to the wellbeing and cultural practices of the Gomeroi people, stating no ground or surface disturbance should occur within 500 metres of it without explicit prior and informed Gomeroi consent1. Santos’s plan to drill directly under Bohena Creek, along with six other major creeks, not only disregards this ruling but also jeopardises the groundwater that is essential for cultural practices.
The construction of the pipeline threatens to eliminate two critical sites of significance and damage additional sites, further undermining the cultural integrity of the Pilliga. For the Gomeroi, the land is not merely a resource, it is intertwined with their identity and wellbeing. The integrity of this land must be preserved.
We also highlight the adverse effects this project will have on local agriculture and ecosystems. The pipeline will disturb agricultural land vital to the community, as it crosses 12 farms and disrupts extensive areas of productive land, including crucial cropping zones. The clearing of 168 hectares of forest will harm significant habitats, risking the survival of endangered species that depend on the Pilliga’s diverse ecosystem2.
Santos’ Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) fails to adequately take these environmental and cultural impacts into account. While Santos boast of economic benefits, it ignores the broader consequences of greenhouse gas emissions from both the Narrabri gas field and the pipeline, which is expected to become a major source of pollution in New South Wales3.

As Union representatives we must highlight our concerns regarding the health and safety of workers in NSW. The climate change impact of this project must be considered in rejecting the proposal, as it will support increased fossil fuel production. Workers are already experiencing the impacts of the climate emergency, with communities across NSW over the past 6 years suffering the physical and psychological impacts of fires, flood, drought and extreme heat. The intensity and frequency of natural disasters increase with every increment of global warming4. The NSW Government Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure has a responsibility to protect the interests of this state by supporting infrastructure to minimise climate change and rejecting plans for the expansion of fossil fuels.
In conclusion, we urge that the proposed pipeline project be stopped. The risks posed to Gomeroi cultural heritage, environmental integrity, climate and local agriculture are profound and unacceptable. The Unions NSW Pilliga Campaign Committee stands firm in advocating for the preservation of the Pilliga and the rights of the Gomeroi people against this harmful undertaking.

Thank you for considering our submission. We look forward to your prompt action on this matter.
Respectfully,
Unions NSW Pilliga Campaign Committee
_________________________________________
References:
1. National Native Title Tribunal. (2025). chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.nntt.gov.au/searchRegApps/FutureActs/FA%20Determination%20Documents/NSW/FutureActsDeterminations/2025/NF2021_0003-0006%2019052025%20Correction%20for%20determination.pdf
2. Hosking, L. (2020, August 31). The Pilliga – protect or plunder? National Parks Association of NSW. https://npansw.org.au/2020/08/31/the-pilliga-protect-or-plunder/
3. Grogan, A. (2020, April). Narrabri gas project greenhouse gas claims refuted. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://nwprotectionadvocacy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/NARRABRI-GAS-PROJECT-GHG-claims-refuted-April-2020_web.pdf
4. IPCC. (2023). Summary for policymakers. In H. Lee & J. Romero (Eds.), Climate change 2023: Synthesis report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (pp. 1–34). IPCC. https://doi.org/10.59327/IPCC/AR6-9789291691647.001. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_SYR_SPM.pdf

Narrabri Lateral Pipeline Submission - Application SSI-53307723

Sydney Knitting Nannas and Friends is a group of older Australians, which formed to campaign against coal seam gas in NSW. Founding members researched the gas industry, before a visit to the gas fields in Queensland in 2015. This trip revealed the terrible impacts coal seam gas extraction has on the environment, water sources and on communities.

We strongly object to the Narrabri Lateral Pipeline as it will facilitate the drilling of 850 gas wells in the Pilliga/Narrabri area and the construction of the Hunter Gas Pipeline.

Other objections include:

- Wildlife habitat and biodiversity will be destroyed

Over 90+ hectares of the Pilliga Forest will be cleared for a 30 metre x 30 kilometre easement with turnaround points and hardstands for materials.

The noise, light and air pollution of tree felling, construction, vehicle movements and blasting for 12 hours a day will destroy the serenity of the forest for wildlife. Our native animals will need to move during daylight hours when most are more susceptible to predators. When their known access to food, water and breeding habitat is destroyed, wildlife suffer from stress, which causes them to lose their immunity to illness.

- Bushfire intensity could increase

The Pilliga is known as “Big Fire Country”. Once a fire gets going, it is too dangerous for fire crews to go into the forest to fight the fire. Their only hope of extinguishing it is fire breaks along roads and creeks, or as the fire exits the Pilliga Forest and enters farmland.

The Duck Creek fire swept through the existing gas fields in December 2023. Despite community calls for an independent assessment after this fire, nothing was done to assess if the industrialisation of the Pilliga impacted the fire’s behaviour.

Gas infrastructure is known to leak methane. A leak in this pipeline would most likely increase the intensity of a fire especially in the midst of a forest.

- Cultural Heritage will be further decimated

The Pilliga Forest is culturally and spiritually significant to the Gomeroi, Gamilaraay and Gamilaroi people.

Knitting Nannas have been privileged to have walked with Indigenous people through the forest. We have been told ancient and relatively new stories about it.

Bohena Creek is especially significant due to its connection to Gomeroi creation stories and men’s ceremonial activities. A limit on ground and surface disturbance within 500 metres of Bohena Creek was imposed by the National Native Title Tribunal in May 2025. This condition should apply to the Lateral Pipeline too.

In the first half of the 20th Century, Indigenous men camped in the Pilliga to cut sleepers for the railways and killed rabbits to sell for skins. When their children turned 13 the Aboriginal Protection Board took them away to be ‘apprenticed out’ to ‘learn how to work’. Families camping in the Pilliga kept their children safe by telling them to run and hide when a car came to the camp. Children taken away became the “Stolen Generation’.

This shameful history has not broken the Traditional Custodians’ connections to the Pilliga and they have continually called out the destruction of their heritage and the disruption of their culture by the Narrabri Gas Project.

The proposed Narrabri Lateral Pipeline would break up this once safe space for the Traditional Custodians and access to parts of the forest would be out of bounds.

- Greenhouse Gas Emissions will rise

The Narrabri Gas Project cannot be built without the Narrabri Lateral Pipeline and the Hunter Gas Pipeline. The cumulative impacts of all these projects will increase the state’s emissions substantially. The fact that all of these projects have been assessed separately means that their cumulative impacts are escaping proper consideration.

NSW legislated emissions reduction targets, which are based on meeting our commitments under the Paris Agreement, cannot be met if this pipeline is approved. Carbon offsets and carbon capture and storage cannot reduce emissions at the scale needed for these projects.

- Water will be at risk

The Pilliga Forest is a recharge area of the Great Artesian Basin on which many inland towns and a high proportion of the state’s agricultural production depends.

Water is the most precious resource in Australian, the driest inhabited continent on earth. Any interference with water courses or from ground disturbance can change the flow and determine where water ends up. This can impact on farmers livelihoods, Traditional Owners cultural practices and wildlife’s ability to survive.

Although this pipeline is planned to go under 6 creeks and 33 watercourses it has not been properly assessed.

- No Social Licence

The coal seam gas industry is notorious for a lack of compliance, and the government does not have in place the independent monitoring and enforcement of regulations that should be minimum requirements for environmental protection.

Santos’ many broken promises, cover-ups, breaches of conditions, leaks and sub-standard safety practices in The Pilliga and at their other gas operations are well documented. For example –

• “We have no plans to drill wells in the Liverpool Plains,” Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher told The Land in May 2018. Santos reactivated four legacy wells at the Kahlua gas site, 20 kilometres west of Gunnedah in the prime agricultural land on the Liverpool Plains in 2023.
• A Santos worker blew the whistle about dead dolphins and an oil spill (ABC News)
• The inside story of an ABC report that helped scuttle Australia's biggest foreign takeover (ABC News)
• Why Santos is behind your soaring electricity and mortgage costs (ABC News)

This is not a company we can trust to supply us with energy nor to develop industrial gas in critical and sensitive environments.

Santos has no social licence to operate in NSW because of its reputation and lack of community trust.

We believe that if the government will not stop this industry ‘people power’ will.

- The economics don’t stack up

Demand for gas in Australia is falling. Gas peaking plants are needed during the transition to renewables, but they only use a small amount of gas and the demand for them will reduce as more renewables come online.

Gas demand within New South Wales could be 70% lower as soon as 2030, and eventually eliminated altogether, using readily-available, commercially-viable technologies, according to the Climate Council.

Narrabri Gas is the most expensive gas to extract and pipe to market. NSW will be forced to pay a high price for it while cheaper gas can be imported. The gas not used by NSW will be turned into LNG and sold either to fulfill Santos’ contracts, or on the highly priced spot market.

A short-term shortage of gas can be managed by importing gas through the Port Kembla LNG terminal. If approved the Narrabri Lateral Pipeline would cause the destruction of huge swathes of the Pilliga forest. In addition, it would enable the destruction of agricultural land and housing which would be required for the construction of the Hunter Gas Pipeline.

The economic viability of the whole Santos Narrabri Gas Project should be a major consideration in this assessment. There is a serious risk that the project will not be viable because of the difficulty in extracting enough gas in the approved area and that Santos would then seek to expand into prime agricultural land on the Liverpool Plains and beyond.

The cost of this project will be enormous, not only to the environment but also for the consumer and the NSW government.

The ongoing costs to the NSW government for the Narrabri Gas Project will be for fire fighting, monitoring, compliance and enforcement (if done correctly) during construction and operation, and wells will need to be monitored forever.

- No insurance for people hosting the pipeline

Most insurance companies will not insure properties with gas infrastructure on them. All insurance companies could change their policies at any time after infrastructure has been built. Santos cannot be relied upon to self-insure, or to insure the assets of others. Property owners will find it difficult to mortgage their properties without insurance.

- The Sydney Knitting Nannas strongly object to this proposal.

We vehemently object to the Narrabri Lateral Pipeline for these reasons:
• The east coast DOES NOT need more gas! Even though Santos state publicly that this pipeline is for domestic use gas, we all know the gas will be exported – purely for Santos profits.
• Santos has presented false and misleading information in their original application and EIS, and provided incorrect information to media outlets in the hope of gaining public support for the pipeline and downplaying the environmental impacts of the pipeline.
• There have been inappropriate donations, gifts, dinners and influence from Santos to elected Government officials. This does nothing to instil confidence in affected landholders that our State Government will take our concerns seriously.
• Some landholders have been informed they will be unable to obtain their own public liability insurance if the pipeline goes ahead. Insurance companies can change their policy cover when renewal is due.
• We are opposed to building more fossil fuel projects. Science shows that we should be moving towards renewable energy sources. This is something we instill in our children daily, and having a gas pipeline on these properties presents an existential threat to families. New gas fields with pipelines will lock us in to gas for 20-30 years when we are supposed to be reducing our emissions with renewables.
• The power imbalance between landholders and the proponent is obvious. There is an unjust Santos advantage due to their significant resources and access to Ministers and Government.
• Farmer’s safety is at huge risk if there is a pipeline failure, or a bushfire. Many of the affected properties are in a designated Bushfire Prone Area. This makes their properties incompatible with the construction of a gas pipeline.
• The pipeline is a threat to homes and land values, and farming businesses. Affected landholders are obliged to tell prospective buyers so it will be more difficult to sell.
• The security of properties will be compromised during surveying, construction and ongoing pipe maintenance, with many people accessing land and who owners do not know and cannot trust.
• Property management practices will be disrupted, adding to costs. Farming business activities will be limited by loss of use of land during construction and after the pipeline has been built. Farmers will lose the freedom to manage their own property and farming business.
• After surviving years of drought, fires, floods and Covid, the uncertainty of the pipeline adds to many family’s risk of deteriorating mental health. Farmers cannot improve properties or plans for the future with a potential pipeline looming over their heads.

In IEEFA’s view, consideration of Santos’s proposal to build the Narrabri lateral pipeline, as part of the broader Narrabri gas project, should be delayed. This is because the Australian Government is considering options to increase domestic gas supply as part of the Gas Market Review, with the outcome having implications for the likelihood of domestic gas shortages and the need for Narrabri gas. Studies have shown that making more Queensland gas available to southern markets could lower gas prices in NSW, whereas Narrabri gas is unlikely to lower gas prices.

Narrabri Lateral Pipeline Submission
This submission is to express my objections to the Narrabri Lateral Pipeline for the reasons outlined below.
This project proposes to tear down 168 ha of the precious Pilliga forest, destroying the habitat of threatened native species including the Pilliga Mouse, Eastern pygmy possum, and Corben’s Long-eared Bat. The construction process will also cause much wider negative impacts on the forest.
The implications of the project for water resources are serious, with the pipeline proposing to drill the pipeline under Bohena Creek and across six other major creeks. The EIS does not give adequate consideration to the risks to these water resources, and to the alluvial groundwater.
The importance of the forest and its water resources to the Gomeroi Traditional Custodians should be acknowledged and responded to by the proponent in their EIS. The Department should make this an immediate requirement in this assessment.

The construction of the pipeline will also cause damage to farming land and loss of agricultural production in the short term and potentially in the long term.

The risk of bushfires in the Pilliga is very high, and increasing as average temperatures rise due to climate change. We saw last year the impact of the Duck Creek fire. The addition of gas infrastructure, including this pipeline, would add unacceptable further risks to fire fighters, workers and the precious biodiversity of the forest.
This is not just a high pressure pipeline ripping through some of the state’s most valuable natural and productive resources, threatening them and the social and environmental values they embody. This is also enabling infrastructure for what is arguably the most controversial development ever proposed in NSW.
The Santos Narrabri Gas Project, even in its early stages, has caused grave harm to the environment and deeply divided the local community. The project has been strongly opposed by Traditional Custodians, farmers, scientists and the wider community for very good reasons. The Department is very aware of these reasons: threats to the Great Artesian Basin and other water resources, to Gomeroi culture, food production, biodiversity and tourism to name the most obvious. The project would also add significantly to the greenhouse gas emissions of NSW, at a time when the state is on track to exceed the government’s legislated targets.

All this destruction and division is not necessary. There is no gas shortage, we are swimming in gas and the problem is that too much of it is exported. Hopefully the federal government’s moves to reserve some gas will be effective and in addition gas can be moved by ship to the newly completed Pt Kembla terminal.
Please consider my strong objections to the Narrabri Lateral Pipeline.

Our society objects to this proposal because
1. It will adversely impact on valuable farming land, much of which is cropping land.
2. It will clear 168Ha of the Pilliga Forest and destroy critical habitat of microbats and small mammals.
3. It will further endanger threatened species such as the Pilliga Mouse, the Eastern Pygmy Possum and Corbens Long Eared Bat
4. It will greatly increase Greenhouse Gas Emissions and impact on groundwater in the Pilliga region.

I grew up near Coonamble where the town and farmers rely on the Great Artesian Basin for drinking water for people and stock. The Narrabri Lateral pipeline and the Narrabri Gas Project are in one of the few recharge areas of the Great Artesian Basin. Consequently these projects risk the contamination of the Basin and the livelihoods of many people.

High pressure gas pipelines should not be allowed in high risk bushfire areas especially when we know that fires are becoming more prevalent and dangerous as the planet warms.

Emissions reductions is what needs to be addressed so future generations can enjoy a stable climate. This project increases emissions.

I strongly object to this project

This project should be referred to the IPC, it is huge in scope and the documents provided by the proponent fail to address cumulative impact adequately. There is no social licence for the Narrabri Gas Project. I provide you here with an aerial photograph of flannel flowers in full bloom in the Pilliga Forest. The pipeline is proposed to rip right through this. This objection supports that of People for the Plains, Wando CCC, Lock the Gate and Northwest Protection Advocacy.

To Whom it May Concern,

My name is Hilary McAllister, and since 2020, I’ve visited the Pilliga forest roughly eight times to hike, camp, explore, and learn about this special place. Over this time, I have come to care for the forest and the community deeply. Please see the next page for some photos from my time spent on Gomeroi Country, to highlight the biodiversity and cultural significane o this area. This proposed pipeline will irreparably tear through this culturally and ecologically significant forest, and I vehemently oppose the Lateral Pipeline’s construction.

Three aspects of the proposal that concern me the most are:
1) The impacts on Gomeroi Cultural heritage
2) Risks to water, in particular the Great Artesian Basin, creeks and rivers
3) Risks to threatened species impact

I want to highlight some key concerns across these three elements of the project.

The impacts on Gomeroi Cultural heritage
I have spent time on Country with Gomeroi leaders and elders, and have learnt about the deep spiritual, cultural and social connection Gomeroi people have to the Pilliga. As the Native Title Tribunal has found, many significant waterways, including Bohena Creek, are at risk of irreparable damage if this pipeline goes ahead. Santos are willingly desecrating Bohena Creek despite recommendations that there should be no ground or surface disturbance within 500 meters of Bohena Creek, unless Gomeroi give consent. The EIS has not addressed the significance of Bohena Creek or other waterways. For that reason alone, I object to this project.

Risks to water, in particular the Great Artesian Basin, creeks and rivers
The Great Artesian Basin is the lifeline for so many people living in New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory. Yet, this one project puts a reliable, necessary water source at jeopardy. The risks to groundwater are understated in the EIS, and given Santos’ poor track record at managing accidents, I do not trust them to prioritise the health of the GAB. Additionally, the lack of detail on where the blasting zones will be during construction is a serious oversight, as this will directly impact the ability of the GAB to recharge.

Risks to threatened species’ habitat
The Pilliga Forest is a vast haven for so many threatened, vulnerable and critically endangered species, and the additional clearing of 168 hectares for this pipeline is unacceptable. Creatures such as the Pilliga Mouse, Eastern pygmy possum and Corben’s Long-eared bat will be irreversibly impacted, not to mention the birds and mammals that will be displaced by tree clearing.

In conclusion, I urge the NSW Government to reject this project proposal. The EIS does not adequately address not only the aforementioned environmental and cultural concerns but also many others, including cumulative impacts and risks to biodiversity. We are in a polycrisis, and we must prioritise protecting nature and culture above all.

Yours sincerely,
Hilary McAllister

Thursday 18th December 2025

To Whom It May Concern,

On behalf of For Wild Places Foundation Limited, I am writing to object to the proposed Pilliga Lateral Pipeline in the Pilliga Forest. For Wild Places is an Australian charity and not-for-profit that inspires and empowers outdoor communities to learn, care for, and celebrate the wild places we love to explore. We promote stewardship and action by hosting inclusive, sustainable outdoor events, supporting environmental campaigns and being a voice for wild places. Since 2020, we have been building a community of activated, informed and passionate advocates for wild places, and one of our main areas of focus has been the Pilliga Forest.

In 2022, we hosted our first event in the Pilliga Forest, which welcomed 80 runners from across the country to the Pilliga to experience first-hand the beauty and biodiversity of this forest. Since then, we have brought over 400 people to the Pilliga Forest through our annual 'Pilliga Ultra' event, bringing much-needed tourism to the area. Please see the following pages for some photos from our time in the Pilliga.

The reason people come is the beauty, biodiversity and community of this place - and this project threatens the very lifeblood of this place, and the community. Santos' EIS does not go far enough to minimise the harms this 55km pipeline will have on the surrounding landscape and will cause irreparable, potentially catastrophic damage to an already exploited, vulnerable environment.

The EIS failed to address several key points and areas of concern adequately. These include, but are not limited to:

Yellow Springs Creek and Yellow Springs Dam
In September this year, we enjoyed a delightful picnic lunch at Yellow Springs Dam. This is one of the few reliable water points in that particular area of the Pilliga Forest, and could be recognised as a Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystem and Matters of National Environmental Significance (GDE/MNES). Additionally, it is very concerning that the EIS indicates a well pad on the corner of Beehive Road and the dam access track. This area should be included within a buffer zone, as should Bohena Creek, as per the National Native Title Tribunal conditions.
Gomeroi Cultural Heritage Impacts
We have spent many hours with Gomeroi custodians, and have been grateful to hear the many stories of culture and connection to the Pilliga Forest. The construction of the pipeline will destroy two known sites of significance and damage an additional four sites. This is unacceptable, and priority must be given to preserving places of significance to the Gomeroi people and their culture. In addition, it is beyond dispute that all water resources on traditional Aboriginal land are of significant cultural importance; therefore, Bohena Creek and other ephemeral creeks within the Pilliga must be protected. The EIS shows a complete disregard for cultural heritage and respect for the Gomeroi people.

Cumulative Impact (CI)
The EIS did not adequately address the cumulative impact of multiple mining projects on the area, past, present, and foreseeable future, including Whitehaven Coal's Narrabri underground mine, which has been operational since 2012. Impacts include harm to biodiversity, harm to groundwater, increased traffic levels, and increased dust, noise, and vibrations. The Narrabri Underground State 3 Extension Project has a hard border on its south side to the Pilliga Lateral Pipeline, and mines the same coal seam, and should therefore be considered for cumulative impacts.

It is shortsighted for the EIS not to consider the implications of multiple mining activities in one region and the potential larger impacts they may cause, including impacts on threatened species such as the Swift Parrot and Glossy Black Cockatoo, both of which have been recorded in the project area in recent times. For this reason, this project should trigger the precautionary principle, and the cumulative impacts of the proposed Pilliga Lateral Pipeline must be comprehensively considered before proceeding any further.

These are just some of the concerns For Wild Places has regarding the Pilliga Lateral Pipeline proposal. We hope to continue bringing people to this forest for years to come, to witness the beauty and learn about the cultural connections the Gomeroi have to this area. To ensure the ongoing health and biodiversity of this forest, we wholeheartedly object to this proposal.

Sincerely,
Hilary McAllister
CEO, For Wild Places Foundation Limited

I strongly object to Santos' Narrabri Gas Pipeline.
We are seeing first hand the impacts of climate change on our communities and communities around the world. This will have huge impacts on humanity's ability to provide clean drinking water and conserve enough arable land to feed the population.

# This damaging and polluting pipeline will open up the Pilliga for Santos’ 850 well Narrabri coal seam gasfield. The Pilliga will be destroyed, and precious water resources will be depleted and contaminated.
# Santos’ Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the pipeline claims the economic “benefits” of the Narrabri gasfield and Hunter gas pipeline. This gas will not benefit Australians as most if not all gas will be exported. Santos pays very little tax or royalties.
# there will be enormous harm to biodiversity, water and climate from the bigger pipeline and gasfield.

# The EIS does not consider the full negative economic impacts of the greenhouse gas emissions from the gasfield and the two pipelines, which is likely to be very significant given Narrabri is predicted to be the sixth biggest source of greenhouse pollution
in NSW.

# There will be significant impacts on farm land and forest
The pipeline crosses 12 farms, and a little under half the land it will disturb is agricultural land, one fifth of the land to be disturbed is cropping land. The other half of the pipeline cuts through the Pilliga forest.
Construction will clear 168 hectares of forest and will cut a 30 metre wide swathe through the Pilliga East forest, causing serious damage for microbats and small mammals.
It will clear habitat and put at risk threatened species that have strongholds in the Pilliga,
like the Pilliga Mouse, Eastern pygmy possum, and Corben’s Long-eared Bat.

# There are significant Impacts on Gomeroi cultural heritage:
The Pilliga as a whole has deep spiritual, social and cultural significance for Gomeroi people. The National Native Title Tribunal acknowledged that all water resources, and Bohena Ck in particular, is of major cultural importance to Gomeroi people. The Tribunal said there should be no ground or surface disturbance within 500m of Bohena Ck without Gomeroi consent.
# Santos plans to drill the pipeline right under Bohena Ck and across six other major creeks, disturbing the alluvial groundwater. The EIS does not discuss the cultural significance of the entire Bohena Ck for Gomeroi people at all.
# Construction of the pipeline will also wipe out two known sites of significance and damage a further four sites. Gomeroi people have said the Pilliga’s integrity is central to their wellbeing and cultural practice and must be kept whole.

ln conclusion, the fact that the climate is changing and heating is undeniable. The fact that this is being driven and accelerated by the burning of fossil fuels is undeniable. In such circumstances it is completely irresponsible to build 850 gas wells and gas pipeline that contributes to this, at the same time as contaminating and depleting our precious fresh water resources, and damaging and in some cases, destroying our arable land. Our water and farm land must be conserved for all future generations. Australia is a hot spot of species extinction. All efforts must be made to conserve the wildlife left.

The negative impacts about the development of coal seam gas and its associated infrastructure is well known. It is unacceptable that these types of requests for submissions for unpopular developments are always made at Christmas time. The Narrabri gas field has been extremely controversial and the State Government has acted as nothing better than an advocate for this development. Queensland has provided plenty of examples as to why this project should be stopped now. Do the right thing and say no.

I am objecting to the Narrabri Lateral pipeline because the Pilliga is the largest remaining temperate forest, it is a biodiversity hotspot and has many cultural sites.
The project will divide the forest into smaller areas affecting habitat for sensitive species.
The Great Artesian Basin is the most important water basin, all life depends on it, including ours.
The Project will affect the area in a negative way, cumulative impacts of the Narrabri gas wells and the pipeline is a big issue.

It is time to stop approving fossil fuel projects.

Follow the science and say no.

Thank you.
Stephen Nelson

I oppose Santos' destructive pipeline and support the Gomeroi Traditional Owners and all others who would be impacted by this proposal. Santos’ Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the pipeline claims the economic “benefits” of the Narrabri gasfield and Hunter gas pipeline but doesn’t take responsibility for the harm to biodiversity, water and climate from the bigger pipeline and gasfield. The EIS should be amended to consider the FULL negative economic impacts of the greenhouse gas emissions from the gasfield and the two pipelines which is likely to be very significant given Narrabri is predicted to be the sixth biggest source of greenhouse pollution in NSW. This proposal by Santos is UNCONSCIONABLE at this point in time as regards GLOBAL WARMING.

I have owned land in Pilliga and even 5 years ago due to the aquigers dropping many trees were dying through lack of water.
I also met land and environment testing water supply who agreed this was happening but that fracking will contaminate what is left. Below are are few points I would like to make but I would really like to draw your attention to a critical issue you have not mentioned - what are we going to eat if our farms anywhere near the great Artesian Basin run dry or are poisoned?
We can't eat gas. So then what ? We rely on China for food? And clean water??
Plus:-
The Pilliga as a whole has deep spiritual, social and cultural significance for Gomeroi people. The National Native Title Tribunal acknowledged that all water resources, and Bohena Ck in particular, is of major cultural importance to Gomeroi people. The Tribunal said there should be no ground or surface disturbance within 500m of Bohena Ck without Gomeroi consent.
However, Santos plans to drill the pipeline right under Bohena Ck and across six other major creeks, disturbing the alluvial groundwater. The EIS does not discuss the cultural significance of the entire Bohena Ck for Gomeroi people at all.
Construction of the pipeline will also wipe out two known sites of significance and damage a further four sites. Gomeroi people have said the Pilliga’s integrity is central to their wellbeing and cultural practice and must be kept whole.

Impacts on farm land and forest

The pipeline crosses 12 farms, and a little under half the land it will disturb is agricultural land, one fifth of the land to be disturbed is cropping land. The other half of the pipeline cuts through the Pilliga forest.
Construction will clear 168 hectares of forest and will cut a 30 metre wide swathe through the Pilliga East forest, causing serious damage for microbats and small mammals.
It will clear habitat and put at risk threatened species that have strongholds in the Pilliga, like the Pilliga Mouse, Eastern pygmy possum, and Corben’s Long-eared Bat.

Other issues

Santos’ Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the pipeline claims the economic “benefits” of the Narrabri gasfield and Hunter gas pipeline, but doesn’t take responsibility for the harm to biodiversity, water and climate from the bigger pipeline and gasfield.
The EIS should be amended to consider the full negative economic impacts of the greenhouse gas emissions from the gasfield and the two pipelines, which is likely to be very significant given Narrabri is predicted to be the sixth biggest source of greenhouse pollution in NSW.
You are already wasting farmland with windfarms to benefit the coast - but what about everyong else
Please use some commonsense and leave the Great Artesian Basin alone

I strongly object to this damaging and polluting pipeline which will open up the Pilliga for Santos’ 850 well Narrabri coal seam gasfield.

My reasons for objection are as follows:
1. The severe negative impacts on Gomeroi cultural heritage:

The Pilliga as a whole has deep spiritual, social and cultural significance for Gomeroi people. The National Native Title Tribunal acknowledged that all water resources, and Bohena Ck in particular, is of major cultural importance to Gomeroi people. The Tribunal said there should be no ground or surface disturbance within 500m of Bohena Ck without Gomeroi consent.
However, Santos plans to drill the pipeline right under Bohena Ck and across six other major creeks, disturbing the alluvial groundwater. The EIS does not discuss the cultural significance of the entire Bohena Ck for Gomeroi people at all.
Construction of the pipeline will also wipe out two known sites of significance and damage a further four sites. Gomeroi people have said the Pilliga’s integrity is central to their wellbeing and cultural practice and must be kept whole.

2. The severe negative impacts on farm land and forest

The pipeline is set to cross 12 farms, and a little under half the land it will disturb is agricultural land, one fifth of the land to be disturbed is cropping land. The other half of the pipeline cuts through the precious natural resource that is Pilliga forest.
Construction will clear 168 hectares of forest and will cut a 30 metre wide swathe through the Pilliga East forest, causing serious damage for microbats and small mammals.
It will clear habitat and put at risk threatened species that have strongholds in the Pilliga, like the Pilliga Mouse, Eastern pygmy possum, and Corben’s Long-eared Bat.

3. The additional issues of negative impact

Santos’ Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the pipeline claims the economic “benefits” of the Narrabri gasfield and Hunter gas pipeline, but does not take responsibility for the harm to biodiversity, water and climate from the bigger pipeline and gasfield.
The EIS should be amended to consider the full negative economic impacts of the greenhouse gas emissions from the gasfield and the two pipelines, which is likely to be very significant given Narrabri is predicted to be the sixth biggest source of greenhouse pollution in NSW.

This project is totally unviable on any economic level. In addition it represents an affront to all right-minded NSW citizens as it constitutes totally unacceptable risks environmentally, climatically, culturally, agriculturally, and socially. The Pilliga must be protected and preserved in perpetuity.

Jane Cotter BA (Hons), MA.