SPONSORED BYPage 1 • Fossil Fossil Fool Bulletin 3:35 • 30 September Fool 2020 KNITTING NANNAS AGAINST GAS Bulletin Fossil fools in the spotlight this week: A resource for people working to end the fossil fuel era in Australia Fossilfool.com.au FFB 3:35 • 30 SEPTEMBER 2020 Narrabri gasfield gets go-ahead By Eve Sinton In a move bitterly disappointing to thousands of people who have opposed the Santos Narrabri gas- field, New South Wales Independent Planning Commission (IPC) has given the project a tick of approval. The IPC has covered its arse with 134 conditions and a phased approval, in which each step must meet targets before the next phase is approved. The approval process was compressed into a tight time-frame by NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes, despite drawing 23,000 public submissions of which 98% were opposed to the development. A late submission from Santos on gas production costs was accepted, but another late submission on water issues from Lock the Gate was rejected. Lismore Knitting Nannas Against Gas protest the approval of the Narrabri gasfield outside the office of local MP Kevin Hogan (Nationals). Photo: Gwilym Summers The Knitting Nannas Against Gas have been at the forefront of opposition to subsidised by the tax-payer, and much mean Santos “is a long way from the more dangerous to our environment starting gates”. than we’ve been told by the pollies Knittingthe gasfield. Nannas incensed The requirement for the company to queued up to the revolving door that redo the groundwater model so that it “The Lismore Knitting Nannas are leads them onto the boards of fossil incensed by the IPC’s decision to allow fuel companies. project construction can proceed will Santos to continue its plan to create “We are utterly dismayed by this meetsbe particularly a Class-3 challenging, confidence levelshe said. before an enormous gas mine in the Pilliga/ decision and the effect it will have on “Santos is really going to struggle to Billiga forest,” they said. the future of our children and grand- “This decision dismisses the rights of children. Woods noted the IPC had highlighted the Gamilleroi people and the thou- proceed with this gasfield.” “You haven’t heard the last from us,” that 71% of the local submissions sands of concerned citizens who put the Nannas said as they gathered out- submissions to the IPC. This invasive were opposed to the project, dousing commentary that the region supported method of mining will cause irrepara- express their dismay. ble damage to sacred sites, thousands side local MP Kevin Hogan’s office to of homes and farms and the Pilliga Santos faces continuing opposition Santos has more hurdles to negotiate the gasfield. from a number of groups determined Artesian Basin. Meanwhile, Lock the Gate spokes- forest, the filter that feeds the Great “Gas is not, nor ever will be, an appro- woman Georgina Woods told the put themselves on the ground at Nar- Sydney Morning Herald the conditions priate transition fuel. It is heavily to snuff out the gasfield, •and Continued willing top2 • P3: Fossil fuelled • P4: Weapons of gas P6: Fossil fools power failures destruction revealed capture policy Page 2 • Fossil Fool Bulletin 3:35 • 30 September 2020 Dismay as IPC approves Santos’ Narrabri Gas Project • Continued from p1 “We are talking millions upon mil- We are utterly dismayed by lions of tonnes toxic salts because rabri and in the courts. These include this is only phase one of the Narra- Lock the Gate, the Knitting Nannas and this decision and the effect it North West Protection Advocacy. will have on the future of our children and grandchildren. new phases that follow that will all You haven’t heard bri project. There will be five or six David Morris said he would be meeting the last from us. approval. These will Swiss cheese Environmentalwith clients whose Defenders submissions Office toCEO the benorth rubber-stamped west NSW while if the dropping first gets a IPC had been rejected, to discuss their – Lismore Knitting Nannas slow-motion subterranean atom bomb legal options. into the holes. With no oversight of the “The Commission has made a terri- chief scientist’s 16 conditions for safe Traditional Owners and farmers plan to ble mistake and has condemned our extraction.” ramp up the battle Llewellyn-Smith says Santos is a destructive industry. Which we will. proven liar in public discourse and had Farmers and Gomeroi Traditional region to having to keep fighting this “Coal seam gas is mother nature’s made deceptive statements about gas melanoma, and to pursue this sunset supplies when setting up its gas export Ownersbattle to fighting protect thetheir Santos lands Narrabriand pre- industry over agriculture and food terminal in Queensland. coalcious seam water gasfield resources will despiteramp up today’s the production is just unbelievable.” disastrous IPC decision. Renew Economy reported that Green- Highly prejudiced, corrupt They have taken aim at the Berejiklian peace Australia said the Narrabri “That scandalous lie led directly to the and Morrison Governments who they project would lead to ‘unacceptable’ collapse of the east coast gas market say have failed to listen to the com- environmental impacts, and called on and the very shortages that we are munity and protect groundwater from federal environment minister Sussan coal seam gas. Ley to step in and block the develop- Everything that Santos says should be ment of the project. nowregarded trying as to highly backfill prejudiced, with Narrabri. corrupt Gomeroi woman Polly Cutmore said, and disregarded accordingly,” he said. “Extracting and burning methane has and we are here to tell the govern- already made a massive contribu- “Santos has no incentive to make the “Ourment, people Santos don’t and theirwant investors this gasfield that tion to the climate crisis and turning gas cheap. It is a core member of the east coast gas export cartel. Therefore, exacerbate extreme weather events what it will do is send offshore more “The Pilliga is Gomeroi land and Santos will keep on fighting it. Narrabri into a gas field would only of the gas it currently supplies to NSW, is not welcome there. We will never campaigner Jonathan Moylan said. while using Narrabri as its substitute. like bushfires,” Greenpeace Australia “Sussan Ley must head off the inevi- protect Gomeroi country from coal market and keep the price at $10Gj. stopseam fighting gas.” to protect the Pilliga and This will sustain an artificially tight powers to reject this project following “That is, most importantly, Narrabri Coonamble stock and station agent tablethe highly community uncertain conflict approval and useby New her gas does nothing to break the market David Chadwick said, “The Commis- South Wales.” power of the gas export cartel so it will sion has made the wrong decision and not lower prices.” they have made it based on bad laws and bad politics that promote coal Investors bag business case for gasfield He concluded, “The truth is this. seam gas. Australia has been played by a lying group of investors. scumbag corporation which turned a “This decision puts the groundwater Santos has also drawn fire from a major national resource endowment Macrobusiness commentator David into a crippling economic handicap by line of this destructive coal seam gas Llewellyn-Smith said, “Knock me over cornering gas reserves. Now that same resourcesindustry. we rely on in the firing with a feather. The nobbled NSW planning commission has approved “The Morrison Federal Government the development of Narrabri gas by and Berejiklian State Government gangsterrort.” is aiming to benefit from our Australia’s most evil company, Santos.” failure to identify its first extortion were both so hell-bent on this pollut- FFB notes that electricity prices are He continued: “So, lock in higher driven by gas prices, so we may expect energy prices. Brace for a poisoned “Clearly that kind of pressure has rising electricity bills as a result of ing gasfield going ahead. Great Artesian Basin. And enjoy the drowned out the community’s clear expensive Narrabri gas. gas cartel for as far the eye can see.” rejection of the industry and the warn- ings of scientists about the threat it Llewellyn-Smith has previously Santos welcomes approval poses to our groundwater. pointed out that the NSW Chief Sci- In a statement, Santos CEO Kevin entist’s 16 conditions stipulated for “The National Party in particular has Gallagher said, “Santos is excited about coal seam gas development won’t be utterly betrayed its traditional sup- the prospect of developing the Narra- applied to the Santos development. porter base. The appalling display of bri Gas Project, a 100% domestic gas contempt by the Nationals for the com- He said the tonnes of cadmium rich project that can provide the lowest munities the party claims to represent salts that will be discarded after drill- cost source of gas for NSW customers. is untenable. ing are highly carcinogenic. • Continued p3 Page 3 • Fossil Fool Bulletin 3:35 • 30 September 2020 Gasfield gets go-ahead Qld top state for breakdowns of • Continued from p2 “This major step forward is wel- fossil fuelled power stations come, but we must now obtain the approval of the federal minister for Most unreliable: Kogan Creek coal power station. the environment under the EPBC Photo: CS Energy Act as well as other subsequent approvals. “While these approval processes are underway, Santos will com- mence planning for work-over activities on existing wells under its current exploration tenures. Once all approvals are in place, this will be followed by a 12-18 month appraisal drilling program, including expansion of our water monitoring network. This appraisal phased development of the project.” will inform the final plans for the The IPC said, “Public submissions have greatly assisted the Commis- New research from The Australia - sion in critically examining the Institute Climate & Energy Program tions.