Month: January 2023

Groundwater Q&A with the EPA

Groundwater Q&A with the EPA

During 2021 as Santos applied to vary their Environmental Protection Licence 20350 to downsize monitoring of groundwater in the Pilliga Forest we contacted a hydrogeologist at the EPA for answers to some of our questions. The EPA could not explain why the pH of Monitoring Point 13 rapidly dropped by 5 points (see Question 1). To date we have been given no explanation for this worrying downwards trend from alkaline to acid within a formation that Santos characterised as alkaline. The EPA state: “The neutralizing trend of pH observed at Monitoring Point 13…continue reading →
Santos ignores cumulative impact of Pilliga gas pipeline

Santos ignores cumulative impact of Pilliga gas pipeline

Santos, the South Australian gas company, has lodged a Scoping Report for a new methane gas pipeline to connect its proposed Narrabri Gas Project (approved in 2020, but not yet commenced) with the yet-to-be built Hunter to Queensland Gas Pipeline some 60 km to the south east at the small town of Baan Baa. The 50-55 cm diameter steel pipeline will be approximately 55km in length and result in clearing an estimated 120 Ha of native Pilliga Forest vegetation. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet’s government declared the proposed “lateral pipeline” critical state significant infrastructure,…continue reading →
Queensland Hunter Gas Pipeline has no consent from majority of landholders

Queensland Hunter Gas Pipeline has no consent from majority of landholders

By Peter Wills The Queensland Hunter Gas Pipeline was originally scoped out in the mid 2000’s and a 200m wide pipeline corridor study area approved in 2009 for 10 years. In 2018 the project was extended for a further 5 years by the NSW State Planning Department with a new expiry date of October 2024 for significant works to have started. Landholders had no contact from the proponent from 2011 until mid-2020 when the project re-employed staff to progress the project. From these interactions between the proponent and some proactive landholders there now…continue reading →