NSW Government monitoring bore in The Pilliga
Santos’ Response to Submissions to the Narrabri Gas Project was released on 23 April 2018 and is on the NSW Government Planning & Environment website. The project now moves into the government assessment phase of the approval process.
A brief appraisal of Santos Response to Submissions reveals –
- The project has been delayed a year.
- A final investment decision has not been made due to the timing of approval, further appraisal and exploration.
- Over the life of the project an average of only 540 full time jobs will be created.
- Santos needs to make a development application or apply for a modification to expand the project area.
- Santos is not seeking approval for fracking.
Note: Modifications to a project do not require a separate EIS, a full assessment or community consultation. Fracking has occurred in NSW under a modification.
Insufficient monitoring and inadequate information were objected to strongly in the submissions. Many of the issues raised have still not been addressed as Santos proposes –
- A rehabilitation plan will be prepared post approval.
- Every 3 years a third party will do an environmental audit, monitoring gas wells and gathering lines.
- Waste salt, filter cartridges and reverse osmosis membranes will be disposed of at an appropriately licenced facility in accordance with regulatory requirements.
- Prior to a routine loadout to an off-site licenced management waste facility, the salt would be temporarily stored at Leewood, in a weatherproof appropriately bunded storage facility.
Note: In Queensland toxic salt piles up on gas companies’ or contractors land waiting for a waste facility to be approved and licenced.
Scientist wrote in their submissions that the information on the effects on surface and groundwater was insufficient to assess the project and more monitoring was needed. The water section is complex and expert advice is needed to see if Santos have adequately addressed this issue.
In other words this massive document does little to quash the fears of objectors but spins a good yarn. With the $13B takeover bid from US owned Harbour Energy being reviewed by the Foreign Investment Review Board, Santos needs to keep up appearances that this project is still viable.
This morning we were on the road again early. We stopped briefly at the Tambo Teddies shop to buy a gift before driving on to Charleville. At the Bilby Centre, located in the Charleville railway station, we saw bilbies running around a glass enclosure in semi darkness. Story boards and a video showed the efforts made to save these small, nocturnal marsupials from extinction due to the prevalence of wild dogs and cats. Bilbies have a long nose, a black band on the upper tail, then white fur hides a spur like tip. One way to save these creatures from extinction is instead of buying rabbits at Easter, buy a chocolate bilby from Cadbury or Darryl Lea instead – I am personally going to appeal for Lindt to make one too, from 70% cocoa of course!! 
An early rise again this morning as a crowd gathered in the park opposite our motel. Over 50 horsemen and women wearing authentic Light Horse regalia, rode their whalers down the street and lined up outside the old railway station. They remained in place for over half an hour, while across the road in the park, people gathered to listen to speeches, prayers and both the New Zealand and Australian national anthems. The Kiwi anthem puts ours to shame as it was sung in both Maori and English. A procession of the Light Horse started in Barcaldine to celebrate the last cavalry charge at Beersheeba in Egypt in 1917. It moves on to Winton tomorrow. 
We drove for an hour and a half to the Dinosaur Stampede site. The road is bitumen in some places but not others. A sign on one sealed section says NO PARKING NEXT 1.5km EMERGENCY AIRSTRIP.
As we are coming back via Longreach we decided to push on to Winton. I booked accommodation from Longreach as a Festival is on next week and the town is likely to be full. Sure enough I couldn’t get into the first motel I tried but I managed to get a room in the second but it was the last room.
During the Welcome to Carnarvon Gorge presentation we were told that despite culling, 4,000 brumbies lived in the park. I awoke in the middle of the night and heard one cantering around our cabin neighing. We were also told that platypus were best seen in the early morning so I woke up early. It was very cold but I stood very quietly near the Rock Pool for about half an hour watching the surface. I saw a couple of ripples every now and then as some creature broke through the water briefly. I was just about to give up when I saw ripples near the big rock. Something was swimming around the edge, then went into a small cavern and disappeared. It looked like a platypus. A few minutes later a 30cm platypus surfaced about 4 metres away from me. It swam closer, poked its head up, seeming to look straight at me then hid behind some reeds. I moved to get a better view. It surfaced saw me move and ducked straight back into the water. I have only ever seen platypus once before in the wild but due to a series of coincidences over many years these strange creatures have become my mascot. 
Santos will hold its AGM in Adelaide on May 4. To coincide there will be colourful protest vigils at the Sydney and Brisbane offices, as well as in The Pilliga, where Santos are proposing to drill another 850 gas wells below the Great Artesian Basin in a recharge area. For details 
Gas GAB Tours 