2 THE LAND Thursday December 07, 2017 theland.com.au

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OPEN LETTER TO THE PREMIER OF NSW ABOUT COAL SEAM GAS, FROM OVER 600 BUSINESSES, ORGANISATIONS AND PEOPLE OF NORTH WEST NSW.

To theHon Gladys Berejiklian, Premier, Protect the North West region from coal seam gas. We are writing to seek your help in protecting our communities, natural areas and livelihoods from irreparable damage from coal seam gas extraction and ask you to visit the North West to hear our concerns. Coal seam gas is ariskyand polluting industry. The coal seam gasfield proposed by Santos near poses unprecedented challenges for . It is thelargest development ever considered under NSW’s current planning system and threatens to affect water resources and natural ecosystems for centuries to come. We supportyour recent response to Prime Minister Turnbull, rejecting his calls to fast-track assessment of the Narrabri Gas Project. The Environmental Impact Statement for the project is grossly inadequate. Criticism from the Federal Government’s Independent Expert Scientific Committee and independent scientific reviewers confirms that it was not adequate and its water modelling was unsatisfactory. Arecord22,700 people formally objected to the project. These submissions must be treated seriously, but it is routine in New South Wales for the Planning Assessment Commission to hold superficial “public hearings” that remove legal rights for objectors. We seek the following commitments from you to protect the North West from this threat: 1. That anew, thorough and adequate Environmental Impact Statement will be released for public review once Santos has collected and analysed the necessary data; 2. That full merits appeal rights for objectors will be retained for the Narrabri CSG Project; 3. That no coal seam gas project is approved in New South Walesuntil it’s known that surrounding water users, communities, industries and natural ecosystems will not be impacted. When new to your Premiership, you acknowledged that the community is not comfortable with the expansion of coal seam gas and that the government has an obligation to listen to this concern. We hereby invite you to visit North West New South Walestomeet the primary producers, conservationists, Traditional Owners and townspeople who would be directly impacted by this gasfield and to hear our concerns. Signed,

McLaughlin Cotton Contractors Pty Ltd, Narrabri Maules Creek Branch of Country Women’s Jim McDonald, Former Chair Namoi CMA, Narrabri Fish Farm Association of NSW Former member of Independent Expert Sci- Kinetic Cattle, Narrabri Coonamble Branch of Country Women’s As- entific Committee Topsoil Farming, Narrabri sociation of NSW Cr Kodi Brady, Peel Valley Machinery: Narrabri, WeeWaa, Coonamble Chamber of Commerce Colleen Wills OAM, ex Quirindi Cllr Gunnedah, Quirindi, Tamworth The Uniting Church, Presbytery of New Eng- Cr Susan Baker, Gilgandra Pursehouse Rural: Narrabri, , land and North West Cr Greg Peart, Gilgandra Quirindi, Coonabarabran, Gunnedah, Mulla- John Williamson, singer/ songwriter, former Cr Noel Mudford, Gilgandra ley, Tamworth, Coolah Moree resident Cr Noel Wrigley, Gilgandra Bourke Excavations Ltd, Narrabri Tony Windsor, Former New England MP Cr Karlene Irving, Warren Shire Yera Partnership, Narrabri Northern Branch BirdLife Mr Paul Alchin, Principal, Christie &Hood Loder’s Computers, Narrabri People for the Plains, Inc., Narrabri (Livestock &Property Agents), Gilgandra Bundock Farming Co, WeeWaa Great Artesian Basin Protection Group Mrs Carol Alchin, Gilgandra Newsagency Goodwin Kenny Machinery Dealership, North West Alliance Dr Nadine Allen, Gilgandra Veterinary Clinic Gunnedah and Tamworth Coonabarabran Residents Against CSG David Ward, SolutionsAg, agronomy con- Total Ag Services Pty. Ltd., Croppa Creek Mullaley Gas and Pipeline Accord Inc. sultant, Kingspray Services Pty.Ltd., Gunnedah Warren Pipeline Action Group Inc. Professor Paul Martin, Armidale North West Holistic Resource Management SOS Liverpool Plain Professor Helen Ware, Arrmidale Group Liverpool Plains Youth Professor Gabriel Donleavy, Armidale Jill Blackman, Gundair Partnership, No CSG Gilgandra District Inc. Dr Amanda Kennedy, Legal Researcher, Tooraweenah Armidale Action on CSG and Mining Armidale Coonamble Feedlot POWER –Protect our Water, Environment Dr Marty Branagan, Armidale AJF Brien And Sons, Coonamble and Rights, Dr Tanya MHoward, Armidale Chadwick Family Trust, Coonamble Dubbo Knitting Nannas Against Coal &CSG Dr Bea Bleile, mathematician, Armidale Home Timber and Hardware, Coonamble Coonabarabran Knitting Nannas Against Peter Long, Lawyer, Gunnedah Starfish Enterprises, Armidale Gas Elaine van Kempen, author, An Eco History of Artesian Bore Water Users Assoc. Inc. Knitting Nannas New England -North West Five Forests within the Pilliga Forest Liverpool Plains Land Management GasField Free Dubbo Region Dr. Sylvia Martin, award winning biographer Gomeroi Traditional Custodians Wando Conservation and Cultural Centre Dr David Malin, Astrophotographer Warren Aboriginal Education Consultative Gurley Action Group Against Gas Inc. Dr Nicholas Martin, GP, Armidale Group Friends of the Pilliga Inc. Dr Eric Baker, GP, Armidale Colleen Tighe Johnson, Gamilaraay Fashion New England Climate Action Group Best Environmental Technologies Pty Ltd. Designer Sustainable Living Armidale Maria Rickert, owner, Pilliga Pottery Barbara Flick, Gamilaraay Elder National Parks Association -Armidale Owen Craigie, ex NRL player, commentator Raymond Weatherill, Applicant of the Macquarie Marsh Environmental Landhold- Gomeroi Native Title Group ers Association Friends of Siding Spring Observatory The Warren View Club Plus more than 500 other landholders, profes- Upper Mooki Landcare Gould League sionals, business-owners, families and indi- Coonabarabran Landcare Rex Wilson, ‘Winterslo’, Warren viduals from across the North West region.