Saturday 10 October 2020

GRAFTON NANNAS APPALLED AT NARRABRI GAS PROJECT APPROVAL

The Grafton Nannas expressed their concerns about this very damaging project in a letter to the local media including "The Clarence Valley Independent" and "North Coast Voices".  The letter is reprinted below:

 

NARRABRI GAS PROJECT DECISION

The Grafton Knitting Nannas Against Gas are appalled at the decision of the NSW Independent Planning Commission (IPC), a NSW Government agency, to give Santos approval to develop an 850 well gasfield in the Pilliga Forest and surrounding farmland near Narrabri. 

For years there has been strong opposition to this enormous project – both in the immediate area and further afield. 

The Gomeroi people are concerned about the threat to aboriginal heritage; farmers fear the impact of the project on local aquifers and the recharge zone of the Great Artesian Basin; and some opponents are worried about the safe disposal of the saline water produced as the gas is extracted. 

As the gasfield expands,   clearing for roads, pipeline routes, well surrounds and ponds for produced water in the ecologically important Pilliga Forest, the largest temperate woodland in NSW, will cause devastating  fragmentation of natural habitat creating problems for many local fauna species - including threatened species such as Black-striped Wallabies, Koalas and Eastern Pygmy-possums. 

While the Grafton Knitting Nannas oppose this damaging project because of the impacts on the local area, they are also very concerned about its impacts beyond the north-west of the state. 

At a time when Australia needs to urgently reduce its carbon emissions, we have mindless governments pushing for expansion of a dirty fossil fuel industry and its emissions and indulging in porkies about the necessity for this expansion.   

Politicians obsessed with fossil fuels claim more gas is needed to reduce the price of gas for domestic consumption and say gas will super-charge the economy after COVID, provide huge numbers of jobs and act as a transition fuel as we move to a clean economy.  

The Nannas are appalled that the three man panel of the IPC has ignored the local concerns and the climate issues and has accepted the dubious economic claims of Santos and the politicians. 

We agree with those opposing this disastrous development.   We say, “This fight is not over yet.”

    The Grafton Knitting Nannas against Gas



Saturday 19 September 2020

ARE PROPERTY DEVELOPERS MORE IMPORTANT THAN PREVENTING THE EXTINCTION OF KOALAS ?

This was the question that the Grafton Loop of the Knitting Nannas Against Gas and Greed had for their State MP, Chris Gulaptis, Member for Clarence. 

Grafton Nannas and several supporters (and one very active Jack Russell pup) met outside Mr Gulaptis' electorate office in Prince Street, Grafton, on Thursday 17th September.  This gathering, the first for many months, occurred because the Nannas were appalled at the shenanagins of the NSW Nationals over the relatively new Koala State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP).  

 
Grafton Nannas outside the office of C Gulaptis MP

This knit-in was a completely new Nanna experience  as we were meeting according to COVID restrictions - limited numbers, social distancing and, for those who were able to wear masks, with face masks. All of this made communicating with each other rather challenging - particularly for those of us who are becoming hard of hearing.  And our increased volume  meant we were noisier than usual.


We presented  the office with a letter to Mr Gulaptis which explained our concerns about his position and that of his party.  The text of the letter is below:

 

State Environmental Planning Policy (Koala Habitat Protection) 2019 

Over the many years that we Nannas have been around, we have witnessed some weird performances from politicians but the NSW Nationals’ “drama” of last week really “takes the cake”.  The members of the Grafton Loop of the Knitting Nannas Against Gas and Greed are appalled at what you and your colleagues have done and are continuing to do.  

We are amazed to hear that you “love Koalas like every other Australian”. You’ve certainly got a very strange way of showing this recently-revealed affection. 

The Nannas are well aware that since 2012, when the Nationals came into government, they have been pressuring their coalition partners to weaken biodiversity protection.  This has resulted in significant weakening of both native vegetation legislation and State Forest logging regulations.  These changes have had serious impacts on biodiversity - including on koalas.

Koalas have suffered from a range of impacts in recent years including climate induced drought and bushfires as well as dog attack, car strike and disease.  But the major cause of their decline is habitat loss.  Your party, Mr Gulaptis, has had a big role in recent years in ensuring that habitat loss is accelerating.

So now we have you and your colleagues paying lip-service to the need to protect koalas while you are undermining a recent change to koala policy. 

And why are you doing this? It seems that all the hoo-ha is about property developers who are worried they might have difficulty is pursuing their plans for rural subdivisions or residential development on urban outskirts because they will need to put in development applications to councils.  This will then trigger the SEPP. 

Surprisingly the Nannas do not consider the desires of property developers to make what they would no doubt call “an honest quid”  should outweigh the protection of koalas which are on track to extinction in NSW by 2050 unless really effective measures are put in place to protect them and their habitat.

Are property developers more important than preventing the extinction of koalas?

 


 

 

 

 

 


Friday 24 July 2020

SASSY NANNA FORCES COLLEAGUES TO VENTURE OUT

A week ago a few of the Grafton Nannas decided it was time to don the yellow and black and sally forth into the wider world while exercising social distancing and extreme care.

The major incentive for this break from home life was our sassy colleague, Nanna Kerry.  She had become increasingly restive.   She was sick of being in COVID isolation and had been loudly demanding an outing.  She was also very anxious to show her support for all those Nannas as well as the thousands in the west who are opposing Santos' plans for the Narrabri Gas Project which is now being considered by the  NSW Independent Planning Commission as the final part of the approval process.


 So we visited a small park by the river overlooking Susan Island. Nanna Kerry was delighted to be in the fresh air - and she loves the Clarence River.  She wasn't too happy about the face mask but she reluctantly agreed to being a good example to Nannas and others during this health crisis. And she loved Lynette's "I stand for the Pilliga" face frame.

Five masked Nannas & Steve's dog, Tilly



Wednesday 8 July 2020

NARRABRI GAS PROJECT FINAL ASSESSMENT DUE IN AUGUST


Whether a massive coal seam gas (CSG) project in the north-west of the state receives final NSW government approval will be known in August.

Santos’ Narrabri Gas Project, the first stage of which involves drilling 850 gas wells south west of Narrabri through the Pilliga Forest and farmland, has been referred for a final assessment to the NSW Independent Planning Commission (IPC).  The IPC panel will be conducting a public hearing from July 20 – 24 as well as receiving written submissions.

More than 23,000 submissions were received by the Department of Planning when the EIS for this controversial project went on public exhibition in the first half of 2017.  Given the continuing  concern about the project,  there are likely to be many submissions to the panel in the next few weeks.

Why is there concern about a project that both the federal and state governments are so keen to see approved?  There are many issues of concern – two of which are discussed briefly below.

A major concern for many of the region’s farmers is the impact the development will have on water– both in relation to local aquifers and also the re-charge zone of the Great Artesian Basin.  The CSG industry uses significant volumes of water in its operation and also produces large amounts of saline water which will need to be disposed of safely.  Opponents of the development are well aware of the major problems relating to CSG mining and water in the US and also in Queensland.

Another major concern is the impact of this massive development on the high conservation value Pilliga Forest, the largest temperate woodland in NSW. There will be significant clearing for roads, pipeline routes, well surrounds and ponds for produced water.  This fragmentation of natural habitat will create problems for many local fauna species - including threatened species such as Black-striped Wallabies, Koalas and Eastern Pygmy-possums. 

The IPC panel’s determination will be of great interest to many people in the immediate area of Santos’ development but also further afield - including here in the Northern Rivers.