Santos’ contractors, Anderson Environmental & Planning (AEP) of Newcastle, have been conducting “scouting, sampling and survey” work inside the Pilliga Forest under a Forest Permit issued by NSW Forestry Corporation for the Narrabri Lateral Pipeline Survey. The permit—clearly visible on a contractor’s vehicle parked at Smithers Gate, the eastern entry to the forest—appears linked to the long-delayed Narrabri Lateral Pipeline Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
The community group GasWatch observed the activity while inspecting coal seam gas infrastructure, legacy pollution sites and Gomeroi cultural heritage areas, accompanied by Traditional Owner SueEllyn Tighe of Coonabarabran. The visit coincided with the PILLIGA ULTRA event organized by For Wild Places, a 50-kilometre trail event celebrating the region’s natural landscape.
The Narrabri Lateral Pipeline, declared Critical State Significant Infrastructure in December 2022, was granted approval to prepare an EIS in February 2023 under the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements. Nearly two years later, the EIS remains unpublished, suggesting the project has fallen well behind schedule. The Department has extended the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) until 9 December 2025.
The Mullaley Gas & Pipeline Accord (MGPA), with legal backing from Environmental Justice Australia, has asked the Federal Court for a judicial review of the Environment Minister’s decision not to apply the ‘water trigger’ when assessing the pipeline. The Federal Government has already determined that the Narrabri Lateral Pipeline will be assessed under the national law, the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC) in relation to biodiversity values. This is a cause for concern, that AEP is presumably undertaking bird surveys that will address the potential presence of Swift Parrot habitat in circumstances where the habitat has already been seriously disturbed.
Nearby, Whitehaven Coal has also been undertaking substantial roadworks and vegetation clearing on Caloola Rd near Smithers Gate, ostensibly linked to biodiversity offsets for its Narrabri Underground Mine. However, the scale of disturbance—affecting mature woodland along a clearly defined corridor—raises questions about whether the works are connected to broader fossil-fuel infrastructure planning rather than ecological restoration.
Of additional concern is that Craig Anderson, principal of AEP and the permit holder, is not listed on the NSW Register of Environmental Assessment Practitioners (REAP)—a credentialing scheme introduced in 2022 to strengthen quality assurance in environmental assessments for State Significant Projects.
The overlapping presence of Santos and Whitehaven contractors at Smithers Gate underscores fossil-fuel expansion in the Pilliga, highlighting the urgent need for transparency and independent oversight. Such oversight currently occurs in the form of citizen monitoring of the Pilliga. NWPA have highlighted the cumulative impact of coal and gas in the Pilliga in our submission to the EPBC referral.
If you are interested in learning more about GasWatch activities or taking part in a field trip, get in touch at: northwestpa@protonmail.com