DPE rejects Santos bid to limit pipeline assessment but more scrutiny needed
The NSW Department of Planning and Environment has rejected a bid by Santos to avoid cumulative impact assessment of its planned Narrabri Lateral Pipeline. In its Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (“SEARs”) issued on 9th February 2023, the Department called on Santos to consider “the potential cumulative impacts due to other developments in the vicinity (completed, underway or proposed)”. This is despite Santos claiming in its Scoping Report for the 60km gas pipeline that there would be no cumulative impacts in relation to atmospheric emissions (deliberate or accidental), biodiversity and bushfire risk, with other…continue reading →