News

The NSW Planning Secretary Jim Betts has appointed a controversial archaeological consultancy, Oz Ark Environment and Heritage, to the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Advisory Group for Santos’ Narrabri Gas Project. This, in the face of two previous Oz Ark reports in the Narrabri region receiving scathing criticism for inaccuracy and inadequate consultation, one of which – the Maules Creek Oral History  – was removed from the website of the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment following complaints from the public. Condition B58 of the Narrabri Gas Project approval makes it clear under “Notes”…continue reading →

Tights Sands gas mining (unconventional gas) is once again on the agenda after the NSW Government quietly reopened the Preliminary Regional Issues Assessment (PRIA) for Western NSW. The original PRIA was announced in 2017 and covered an area half the size of the recent announcement. The NSW Government says “Preliminary Regional Issues Assessment is an initial assessment of social, environmental and economic matters relating to areas that could be released for petroleum exploration. It involves engaging with interested and potentially impacted stakeholders to identify issues for consideration as part of the Strategic Release…continue reading →

Contractors to the coal seam gas industry need to be aware of the reputational risks they incur by taking on contracts that may appear lucrative, but attract far more scrutiny than other industries they might be capable of servicing. These businesses need to understand the history of the gas industry and the reasons it is regarded with suspicion and watched closely. Events in the Pilliga East State Forest last week highlighted the scrutiny that is on the coal seam gas industry, including Santos and its contractors. A Santos contractor, Specialised Civil Services, learned…continue reading →

Prior to the NSW Waratahs accepting sponsorship from gas company Santos, North West Protection Advocacy Patron, Maria Rickert from Pilliga Pottery, penned this letter to the Chairman of the NSW Waratahs, Roger Davis. To say we are deeply disappointed by the decision of the Waratahs to accept this sponsorship deal is an understatement. Here is our letter. To: NSW WaratahsAtt: Roger Davis, ChairmanLocked Bag 1222, Paddington NSW 2021 19th January 2021 Re: Santos Festival of Rugby, Narrabri Dear Roger, My name is Maria Rickert, I am the Patron of North West Protection Advocacy,…continue reading →

Previous News, Comment & Blog posts for easy reference TitleDate PostedLink  A gas-led apocalypse – a photo essay from the coal seam gas fields of south west Queensland12/12/20https://nwprotectionadvocacy.com/a-gas-led-apocalypse-is-underway-in-a-shadow-place-a-photo-essay/  Banned evaporation ponds are the cheapest option of dealing with coal seam gas waste  18/11/20https://nwprotectionadvocacy.com/santos-leewood-wastewater-treatment-facility-evaporation-ponds/  High Point Vents (HPV’s)- The leaking gas  infrastructure that is being kept secret04/11/20https://nwprotectionadvocacy.com/hpvs-the-leaking-gas-industry-infrastructure-that-is-being-kept-secret/  Santos (ASX: STO) scales back financial commitment to Narrabri, faced with Port Kembla Import Terminal competition  19/10/20https://nwprotectionadvocacy.com/santos-asx-sto-scales-back-financial-commitment-to-narrabri-faced-with-port-kembla-import-terminal-competition/  NSW Gas Plan. State of Threat.18/10/20https://nwprotectionadvocacy.com/nsw-gas-plan-state-of-threat/  The North West is having an incredible Spring season in 202008/10/20https://nwprotectionadvocacy.com/north-west-nsw-is-a-having-an-incredible-spring-season-in-2020/  A tale of two…continue reading →

We must question the human rights abuses that are happening on the Western Darling Downs in south-west Queensland. Is this the kind of future in store for north-west NSW? Shadow places are everywhere but rarely made visible. NWPA present a photo essay of a place that has surely been consumed by shadow. Christmas in Surat. A monster well head marks the festive season in the gas fields. This sits on a well pad in the Shell-owned Ruby Jo gasfield.  Danger tags blow in the wind like decorations on a Christmas tree. A glimpse of…continue reading →

The cheapest option for gas companies to get rid of their waste is to allow evaporation via their holding ponds or accumulation dams. The Santos ponds at Leewood Water Treatment Facility (pictured) recently received the residual waste from the ponds which were upgraded at Tintsfield (near the Wilga Park Power Station) and continue to receive produced water from operating Santos wells. Whilst the Reverse Osmosis facility at Leewood is non-operational and irrigation is not occurring the sun is doing the job of evaporating the waste. Lawful or not this is definitely occurring as…continue reading →

Co-authored by Shay Dougall – Molliwell and Johanna Evans – NWPA What is a high point vent (HPV)? Gas and water is extracted from the coal seam via the gas well. The gas and water are separated at the well head and are transported in separate buried high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipelines to the gas processing facility.  Some water will be present in the gas pipeline which will block the gas flow if it is not allowed to drop out of the pipeline via a low point drain.  Some gas will be present in…continue reading →

Santos’ grandiose promise of investing $3.6 billion on the Narrabri Gas Project is shrinking, despite the 850+ well gas field gaining planning approval from the NSW Independent Planning Commission (IPC). Australian Financial Review’s Angela Macdonald-Smith has reported on Citi’s 12th Annual Australia and New Zealand Investment Conference 2020, where Santos Managing Director Kevin Gallagher “scoffed” at the long-held investment estimate. “It’s nowhere near that cost, it’s a very revamped project from the days of 2014-2015”. Kevin Gallagher, Santos CEO Really? Santos has only just completed a 3½ year planning process since the release…continue reading →