I fully support the pragmatic and essential progress of renewable energy projects hand-in-hand with gas, both of which are required to support the transition away from coal.

Please see attached submission for detailed comment summarising key concerns I have with the NLP and why I OBJECT to this Project.

Please see our submission attached

This is a damaging and polluting pipeline and will open up the Pilliga for Santos’ 850 well Narrabri coal seam gasfield.

Here are the key points of my submission.

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.

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.

Wando's submission addresses the inadequacy of the Narrabri Lateral Pipeline (NLP) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in relation to the following main subjects of concern:
● Cumulative Impacts with other major projects including the Narrabri Gas Project and the Narrabri Underground Stage 3 mine
● Blasting in the Pilliga Forest
● Traffic implications and Oversize Overmass vehicles
● Gomeroi cultural heritage impacts
● Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems (GDEs)
Please find attached Wando's submission and 4 related documents