Putting sô much of the State's environment at risk for short-term gain (with no gain to the environment and people and non-Santos activities) is short-sighted in the extreme. To put at risk the Great Artesian Basin, with water the requirement for all life and activities, farming, the Observatory, Aboriginal heritage, is unethical, and impractical long-term, with so many other activities and uses being put at risk.

I strongly object to the development of the gas project. Destroying the natural habitat for wildlife is not ok. Poisoning and treating drinking water with chemicals is not ok. When solutions such as solar power exist why is such a prehistoric idea such as coal mining still even in the mix. Fossil fuel development in Australia needs to be abolished. Put the money into renewable energy.

I object to this project because I believe not enough research has been carried out so far to ensure that environmental damage will not be a side effect of the mining. There is a huge potential for underground water reserves to be irrevocably contaminated.

I object to the Narrabri gas project

STOP ALL FRACKING!
YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO DESTROY THIS LAND FOR YOUR SHORT TERM GAINS!

Any human activity that affects the quality and supply of water in and to natural systems and for communities' needs constitutes a criminal act.
The Narrabri Gas Project will permanently affect irreplaceable underground water reserves.
It will significantly damage the Pilliga's ecosystems and compromise then survival of wildlife and plant species.

The NARRABRI GAS PROJECT MUST NOT PROCEED.

We absolutely must protect the Pilliga forest and Great Artesian Basin. This is a matter of national pride, integrity and wise stewardship for our environment. I speak on behalf of myself and so many of those in my community and workplace who are against the plans that Santos has to drill coal seam gas wells right through the heart of the Pilliga.

This is an emphatic and determined NO to CSG in the Pilliga!

The project is a great theat to humanity and nature. The polution of gas and coal industry is a main force of global warming and researches warn with new findings every day.
The industry is on a dead end and should rather be transformed into renewable energy industry instead of funding gas projects like this.
This is not only my oppinion, but local communities, farmers and the traditional custodians of the land reject the project as well.

The Great Artesian Basin is finite, vulnerable & Australia's most important resource. It will undoubtedly become even more important with the changing climate. Mining threatens the security of the Great Artesian basin and is a risk we cannot take. I have read the following points laid out by various organisations and I agree with them. I have set them out below and I ask that you consider these points along with my post above as my personal submission against Santos' Narrabri Gas project. in the Pilliga.
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 strongly oppose the development of the Narrabri gas Fields for reasons listed below.

Both Santos and APA have very poor records in environmental protection. This is well documented

There is signigicant risk of contamination/ polluton to subterranian aquifers

There is signigicant risk of contamination/ polluton to surface water creeks, rivers and farm dams.

There is no approved waste dump in NSW to handle the toxic byproducts of Coal Seam Gas production

Gas wells are located on productive farming land.

There are high health risks to residents from polution and stress.

The cost of gas production will be too high and the project is uneconomical.

The benefit to the taxpayers is non existant as large foriegn company will ultimately own this infrastructure and ship the gas and profits offshore. The tax Payer will be left with the mess.