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State Significant Development

Determination

Narrabri Gas

Narrabri Shire

Current Status: Determination

Interact with the stages for their names

  1. SEARs
  2. Prepare EIS
  3. Exhibition
  4. Collate Submissions
  5. Response to Submissions
  6. Assessment
  7. Recommendation
  8. Determination

The project involves the progressive development of a coal seam gas field over 20 years with up to 850 gas wells and ancillary infrastructure, including gas processing and water treatment facilities.

Attachments & Resources

SEARs (3)

EIS (71)

Submissions (221)

Response to Submissions (18)

Agency Advice (46)

Additional Information (8)

Assessment (8)

Determination (3)

Approved Documents

Management Plans and Strategies (34)

Reports (2)

Notifications (2)

Other Documents (1)

Note: Only documents approved by the Department after November 2019 will be published above. Any documents approved before this time can be viewed on the Applicant's website.

Complaints

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Enforcements

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Inspections

There are no inspections for this project.

Note: Only enforcements and inspections undertaken by the Department from March 2020 will be shown above.

Submissions

Filters
Showing 141 - 160 of 6108 submissions
Erik Bower
Object
Sydney , New South Wales
Message
CSG is unsafe
It is unwanted by a heavy majority of those who live both near and far from the land
It blights the landscape
It poisons the water
Denying this is denial and lunacy
It is corporate rape as continues in Australia continually
Stop it you thieving money hungry pigs
Nobody wants this for their children
Learn from the aboriginal people
The land must be protected
Else we will all die out as this stupidity continues

Benjamin Summerfield
Object
Glen Iris , Victoria
Message
I object to the Narrabri Gas Project for several reasons. The potential for devastating harm to the wildlife and ecosystem within the area. The fact local residents and farmers have objected to it who will feel negative affects first.
Michelle Macdonald
Object
Chandler , Queensland
Message
This is so unnecessary. It is time to find alternatives rather than continuing to dig up coal and develop gas wells.
Name Withheld
Object
Traralgon , Victoria
Message
Disgusting
When renewables are so easily available. Yeah that's right that thing up in the sky called the sun produces more energy than we need.
Good one Australia, let the big giants rape and pilliga our environment.
Name Withheld
Object
Lilydale , Victoria
Message
Coal seam gas is not the future.
Name Withheld
Object
Meadowbrook , Queensland
Message
The risks and drawbacks of this project far outweigh any hypothetical benefits. The quality groundwater in the region is going to be compromised, which will reduce the availability of clean drinking water for the population of NSW. It is also going to negatively impact already threatened wildlife, and to sacrifice the native environment for the sake of short-term profits is inexcusable. Surveys of community, the traditional owners and farmers demonstrated their vehement objection to the project, and the government should not go against the will of the people - it's anti-democratic. Finally, Santos has a long and shameful record of environmental pollution. This company cannot be allowed to extract CSG in one of the most precious nature spots in Australia.
Allan Shepherd
Object
Flinders , New South Wales
Message
I am totally against GSG mining in these areas, all for the sake of greed the Government has allowed this to carry on and polute our natural resource this land has to offer
Name Withheld
Object
Healesville , Victoria
Message
Dear Nsw Dept planning and environment,

I urge you to reject the proposal for 850 csg wells in the Pilliga region.

There are so many reasons, you would have to be truly insane to approve it. It's massively polluting to air, soils and water and will leave a toxic legacy across the state.
It's shows utter disrespect to the gamillaraay people who don't want it and wouldn't benefit from the destruction and polluting of their land.

Take a leaf out of Dan Andrews' book and halt csg. The monumental damage is not worth the short lived gain.

Respectfully yours,
brett krause
Object
tully , Queensland
Message
Stop killing the world!
Kathryn Woods
Object
Frankston , Victoria
Message
As an ecologist and ranger, I witness daily the destruction caused by human developments such as the Narrabri Coal Seam Gas Project. I strongly oppose this proposed project for a number of reasons.
Firstly, the Narabri Gas Project risks the disruption and contamination of the Great Artesian Basin and the Murray-Darling Basis. Both are Australia's two most precious water resources, and as such should be protected. 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 This would have a devastating impact on the Pilliga.
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.

Secondly, the Gamilaraay traditional custodians of the Pilliga, are opposed to CSG. There are hundreds of cultural sites as well as songlines and stories connecting the Gamilaraay to the forest and to the groundwater beneath. They have been fighting Santo's proposal and do not want the Pilliga to be sacrificed for CSG. When continued cultural links exist, these should be protected, respected and celebrated, not destroyed by continued oppression.
Thirdly, farmers and the local community oppose the Narrabri Gas 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.
Forthly, the Narrabri Gas Project has a long history of spills and leaks of toxic CSG water, which demonstrates that Santos cannot be trusted to manage the project safely. Santos have 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 is negligent and cannot be trusted.
Fifthly, 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. High conservation areas like the Pilliga are increasingly important for conservation considering the extent of habitat destruction and climate change. The protection of such areas cannot be compromised.
Sixth, 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.
Seventh, 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.
Eighth, 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.
Ninth, 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.
Tenth, 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.
Please consider the strength of these factors combined and do not approve the Narrabri Gas Project.
Yours faithfully,
Kathryn Woods
Name Withheld
Object
Springfield , Queensland
Message
We need to stop digging into the planet. Stop draining finite resources that contribute more effectively in their natural state to the wellbeing of the entire country, and indeed the planet.
In this sunburnt, windswept, drought-prone country, every drop of water is precious. Leave it alone. The Earth needs it and is already using it to support life. Why aren't we making more use of new technology that taps into infinite reasourses to solve our energy problems.. like Sun and Wind? We should be leading the way but instead we keep resorting to this 'ostrich' mentality, digging away and pretending nothing bad is happening around us. Unfortunately if we wait for something bad to happen before we wake up, it'll be way too late and the opportunity to say I told you so will not be worth the wait. All mining needs to stop eventually and new technologies need to be allowed to take us into the future, otherwise there will be no future.
Name Withheld
Object
Gembrook , Victoria
Message
The Narrabri Gas Project risks our precious water sources, including the Great Australian Basin--Australia's largest groundwater aquifer
The water removed for CoalSeamGas 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.
The system is vulnerable to contamination from drilling fluid spills and the salty treated water produced from the proposed 850 wells.!!!

The Gamilaraay Traditional Custodians are opposed
and have told Santos they do not want their country sacrificed for a coal seam gas field.
Hundreds of Farmers and other people from 99 local communities reject the project & have participated in protest actions unlike any previously seen in the region
Extensive community surveys have shown an average of 96% opposition to CoalSeamGas

The Narrabri Gas Project has a long history of spills and leaks of toxic CoalSeamGas water--Santos cannot be trusted to manage the project safely
& has already contaminated a freshwater aquifer in the Pilliga with uranium at levels 20 times higher than safe drinking water guidelines & there have been over 20 reported spills and leaks of toxic CSG water.
Human health is compromised by coal seam gas & its impacts have been documented in human populations nearby to existing gasfields in Queensland, Sydney and in America.

The Pilliga is a haven for threatened wildlife &it is one of 15 nationally listed `biodiversity hotspots' and is vital to the survival of many threatened mammals & birds and is internationally recognised as an Important Bird Area. The Santos gasfield would fragment 95,000 hectares of the Pilliga.
Coal seam gas fuels 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.

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. The industry would leave a toxic legacy in NSW.
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 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 pollution. The area has been internationally recognised as a `dark sky park' and the 50m high gas flares proposed by Santos threaten the viability of the facility.
Chris Phillips
Object
As above , Western Australia
Message
Leave some land for the future
Catherine Duncan
Object
Mount Waverley , Victoria
Message
To destroy forests in an attempt to extract (relatively low yielding) gas and oil deposits is insane vandalism.
To risk contamination of a major national water resource (the Great Artesian Basin) is criminally irresponsible.
This project application by Santos should not go ahead.
Name Withheld
Object
north ipswich , Queensland
Message
too much damage to ground waters has been proven to be associated with CSG, and the environmental damage of mining is unacceptable
Michael Kaldor
Object
Cambridge Park , New South Wales
Message
Just a big NO from me to any more coal seam gas exploration
Luke Williams
Object
Eumundi , Queensland
Message
Please stop destroying our future. I say NO to any mining in the Pilbara
Name Withheld
Object
Lisarow , New South Wales
Message
Stop this cancerous rot that is killing our land, and destroying our precious water table. Find alternatives. In the not too distant future we will say" why didn't we stop this? Why were we so stupid "
Daniel Schmidt
Object
Fullham Gardens , South Australia
Message
It's time to forget fossil fuels and concentrate on renewables. Please don't allow this potentially catastrophic plan to proceed.
Pheona Luxford
Object
Caulfield South , Victoria
Message
This is not where our future energy needs should be focused. Renewables please.

Pagination

Project Details

Application Number
SSD-6456
EPBC ID Number
2014/7376
Assessment Type
State Significant Development
Development Type
Petroleum Extraction
Local Government Areas
Narrabri Shire
Decision
Approved
Determination Date
Decider
IPC-N

Contact Planner

Name
Rose-Anne Hawkeswood