NSW Farmers to lobby state government to withdraw gas project support

THE state’s peak farming body, NSW Farmers, will lobby the state government to remove support for the proposed Narrabri gas project and its associated pipelines.

A motion was tabled at last week’s conference by the Tambar Springs/Gunnedah branch.

Santos is seeking to develop up to 850 coal seam gas wells in the Pilliga in what has been previously described as a $3.6bn project.

The push against coal seam gas will also call on the government to not renew petroleum exploration licences 1 and 12 located on the Liverpool Plains.

NSW Premier Chris Minns has voiced his support for the development to secure the state’s energy supply.

Speaking for the motion, Margaret Fleck voiced concern with the proposed project presenting as a risk to regional water resources.

“Evidence from a Queensland government report on the impact of coal seam gas extraction demonstrates the severity of these impacts, as it has caused groundwater levels to plummet by over 400m in certain areas,” she said.

Speaking about now renewing the two licences on the Liverpool Plains, she said they covered more than 600,000ha and posed major environmental and agricultural risks.

“The most significant risk is groundwater depletion and contamination as coal seam gas activities threaten integrity of the Upper Namoi alluvium, creating risk for aquifer depressurisation and cross contamination,” Mrs Fleck said.

The motion was seconded by Danica Leys, who is also chief executive officer of the NSW CWA which has voiced its opposition to the Narrabri gas project.

Newly-elected NSW Farmers president Rebecca Reardon, who chaired the discussion, called for speakers for and against the motion.

A speaker against the push to lobby the government said he was a strong believer in gas being an essential part of the energy mix.

“From my perspective, I think the risks are manageable and so I can’t support this motion,” he said.

Another speaker said the motion would not result in NSW Farmers being against gas but that it instead came down to a planning issue.

“There is a complete lack of strategic land use planning in this state, which means that we end up with renewable projects where they shouldn’t be,” she said.

“That we end up with coal seam gas projects where they shouldn’t be.

“Where we end up with petroleum exploration licences, covering the Liverpool Plains, where they shouldn’t be.

“So that’s what this motion is about. It’s about protecting these areas.

“It’s about protecting the Liverpool Plains, particularly, from the Narrabri gas project.”

Another speaker sought to provide context to the discussion and said recommendations where to protect against risks of the proposed project.

“Before this project was approved, there was an independent panel of experts,” he said.

“It was chaired by Jock Laurie, former president of this association.

“And they came up with well over 80-odd recommendations to protect, against all the things that the movers have quite rightly raised as significant things to worry about.

“Yes, we do need to worry about those things.

“It’s up to you whether you think the conditions that were put on were adequate or not, but there are 80 or more of them. That’s just in relation to water.”