The Pilliga Woodland is the largest and most intact temperate eucalypt woodland in eastern Australia. It is a very important haven for a large variety of birds and so many threatened other animals. It has great cultural value for the Gamilaraay people. Inevitable water pollution (salt) will simply kill great parts of the forest and it's inhabitants. The scale of the drilling, 850 coal seam gas wells, is frightening. Who is going to make sure Santos is doing the right thing and no accidents will happen ever? There have been already accidents in the past in the preparation to this mega land killing project. Who can guarantee that the draining in such a large scale of the Great Artesian Basin will not cause unforseen catastrophes. I strongly object this project. How short sighted and money driven. No respect for the land, the fauna and the people who have been there for a long time. "Only when the last tree has been cut down, the last fish been caught, and the last stream poisoned, will we realize we cannot eat money." The statue of the proud Aboriginal man with his child on his shoulder on the sculpture walk there looks very ironic now and a bit hard to digest. No longer his land, it belongs to Santos now. Not literally, but what they do to it kills the cultural value of it for the Aboriginal people.

With community opposition to coal seam gas mining and exploration already so high, it would seem completely out of step with society to develop this industry in The Pilliga or anywhere else in Australia.

Furthermore the exploration for and mining of ANY fossil fuels is abhorrent given the crisis we are facing with climate change. Climate change is the biggest of many huge threats humanity and life on earth is facing, and it is within out power to reverse the trend. I am against the development of any further fossil fuel industries opening up in any part of Australia.

This industry threatens the nature of the region and will effect biodiversity, water quality, forest cover, and ultimately air quality. It is a waste of taxpayers money and contributes to the destruction of our much needed natural life support systems.

As well as threats to our life support systems the Laird forest is a wilderness, one of all too few that need protection not more devastation.

Think about the future! Please do not issue any more licenses for CSG mining in the Pilliga region, or anywhere else in Australia.

http://districtbulletin.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Special-report_Leard-forest.pdf

https://www.nature.org.au/media/1447/pilliga-iconsunderthreat-2012.pdf

All details in attachment. Adani not good citizens. They hide funds in various companies and countries. They cannot be trusted to adhere to Australias requirement of maintenance.

I am a filmmaker, teacher and a mother and am concerned about what kind of future we are leaving for our children. Our environmental assets are a precious resource that must be protected because they will ultimately strengthen our long-term food security and prosperity as a nation. (See my detailed arguments in the pdf attachment.)

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