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

Grafton Nannas Visit NARRABRI For NANNA CONFERENCE

Members of the Grafton Loop of Knitting Nannas Against Gas and Greed (KNAG) travelled to Narrabri for the third annual conference of the Knitting Nannas recently.  

Narrabri was chosen as the venue because of its proximity to Santos’ proposed gasfield in the Pilliga and adjacent farmland. 

The conference gave the Nannas an opportunity to learn more about Santos’ plans for the area.  This immense development of 850 gas wells will have a devastating  impact on the biodiverse-rich Pilliga Forest which provides habitat for a range of threatened species including Koala.  It’s not just the number of wells proposed but all the accompanying infrastructure such as roads, pipelines, vents and flares which mean that large amounts of the forest will be cleared.

So here we have land owned by the people of NSW – it’s OUR forest – which is going to be devastated so that Santos can make massive profits.

Forest clearing is not the only issue about Santos’ gasfield.  There are major concerns about contamination of the water table and impact on the recharge of the Great Artesian Basin. Santos also has a poor record in preventing and cleaning up toxic spills during operation of its pilot project. And then there’s the question of the disposal of huge volumes of produced water and salt.  Santos has not provided satisfactory answers to these and many other questions.

While final approval has not yet been given for this proposal, the Nannas are concerned about the NSW Government’s record in pushing destructive mining projects which are not in the long-term community interest.  It seems the big end of town is much more important to our politicians than the future health of our natural environment or productive farmland.   The Nannas want to see this change.

Nannas assembling for the walk through Narrabri