Self drive Gas & GAB Tours website

Farmers in northern NSW and Southern Queensland have banded together to fight the combined power of big business and governments in an attempt to have heard their side of the debate about Coal Seam Gas and the future of the Great Artesian Basin.

Narrabri and Chinchilla are almost as remote from Sydney and Brisbane as life on the land is from the world of inner city hipsters and politicians reclining on their padded leather benches.

But it is in these recharge areas of the Great Artesian Basin a relative handful of farmers are fighting for what they say is the future of agriculture in their areas.

They are practical men and women who are not opposed to change and development but their lifestyle and the lives of hundreds of thousands of sheep and cattle are dependent on the continuing flow of water from the Great Artesian Basin -- the million year old aquifer that supplies water to more than 22 per cent of our dry continent.

Without the drinking water produced from bores that tap into the Great Artesian Basin (GAB), it would be impossible to run the current stock numbers, either cattle or sheep, on the sweeping western plains.

The farmers fear that Coal Seam Gas exploration and production that involves drilling thousands of gas wells into and through the GAB could destroy the aquifer and force them to walk off and abandon their farms.

Already many bores near Chinchilla have stopped producing clean water, or in some cases, any water at all.

But getting their side of the story over against the powerful public relations machines and cosy political lobbying groups used by the billion dollar mining industry is an uphill fight.

Only when someone such as Wallaby flanker David Pocock chains himself to mining machinery in protest does the farmers’ one-sided fight even impact on the big city media.

So farmers are now asking Australians, particularly those in the cities, to take a long drive into the scrub to see for themselves the truth of the matter.

They have established a website, Gas & GAB Tours www.gasgabtours.com, to allow everyone to take a self guided tour of the areas affected by the on-going gas exploration and extraction.

The site gives detailed information on how to get there, what to see, where to stay or camp and who to talk to for expert information.

It also warns against trespassing on land owned or controlled by the mining giants -- an action which under new regulations recently pushed through by the NSW Government can now result in fines of up to $5,000 and long jail terms.

Defend the right to protest

Landholders protesting at Pilliga

Defend the right to protest from Baird's anti-activist laws 12 noon Tuesday, 15 March outside the NSW Parliament.

NSW’s new laws and fines for protesting won’t stop me protesting. The reduced fines for mining companies will encourage them to cut corners and therefore pollute more, giving me more reason to protest.

The new laws will give police more power "to deal with people who intend to 'lock-on' to equipment", and the authority to move people on in all protest activities.

Fines for mining or exploring without authority, or failing to provide information and records to an inspector have been reduced from $1.1M to $5000.

Santos CSG activities in the Pilliga and the actions of the Department of Industry will be questioned in the Land and Environment Court starting April 6.

Farmers protest outside Santos Leewood site
on  21 February 2016

Please support these farmers from the Pilliga region by protesting against CSG outside Santos offices between 10.30am and 12.30pm at 

32 Turbot Street, Brisbane
1 Macquarie Place, Sydney.
All welcome.

Santos have not submitted an Environmental Impact Statement for their water treatment plant in the Pilliga. A legal challenge about the approval process is pending. 

Newspaper reports stating that all of the Narrabri community is behind the project are incorrect. They refer to the numbers of arrests of people from outside the area. This is due to the police not arresting local farmers when they lock on.

The NSW government is planning to crack down on CSG mining protesters, giving the police more powers and increasing fines. Some fines for protesters are already higher than those paid by companies for polluting the environment.

Pilliga Converge

During the night I woke up several times to check that the riot squad vehicles were still in the motel car park. They were still there when we drove out to the protest site in Old Mill Road. We were one of the first vehicles to arrive. Two police cars were parked across the road and we were told the road was blocked for a police operation. We turned around and parked on the side of the road. More and more people arrived and parked their cars. A large oval of people formed on the road for a smoking ceremony. After this a meeting was called and it was decided to walk 20 metres into the forest or along the fence to the gates. We followed a bagpiper along a track near the fence where a very nice policeman held back a bush so we could pass.

Banners covered the gate and fence into Santos’ Leewood site. There were several security from Santos and about six police. They were tolerant, polite and courteous, showing none of the aggression I had heard about at other protests in the area. They knew that the protesters had planned to walk onto the site and they were confident that they had thwarted the plan.

Pilliga Tour

Pilliga Bore

When I heard that AGL had pulled out of CSG mining at Gloucester, I was determined to join the protests against Santos’ Narrabri Gas Project, the only CSG project awaiting approval in NSW. Common sense dictates that this project should not go ahead as it is located in one of the few recharge areas of the Great Artesian Basin, a vast water resource underlying four states.

I convinced my sister and two friends to join me at a protest to be held at the gates of Santos’ Leewood site. The day prior to the protest I took them on a quick tour of the area, starting on the western side of the Pilliga Forest to Pilliga, the town. My sister insisted on going into the town to see if anything remained of the drive-in theatre that we remembered from our youth. Nothing remained. However, the Pilliga bore was much improved and appeared to be a popular camping spot even in the heat of February.

Pilliga Protest Dates

Kitchen of the Pilliga Push Camp
Free camping Ph: 0499 384 557

Sydney - Every Friday – Protest outside Santos office,  cnr Reiby Place and Pitt Street, near Circular Quay 10.30am – 12.30pm

The Pilliga - 8am Friday 19 February – 5pm Sunday 21 February 2016 – Pilliga Push Converge

The major event is on Sunday 21st February, when hundreds will gather for a peaceful protest in the Pilliga forest. Meet at 9am at Old Mill Road (Dog Fence Road), 22km south of Narrabri, 300m off the highway.  Kids are welcome. Please bring your signs, water, snacks and sun protection. Call 0448 337 072 for further information.

Santos - Friday 19 February – announce full year results

Narrabri - Tuesday 23 February 2016 - Two women charged with resisting arrest will appear before Narrabri Local Court

Narrabri – Saturday 27 February - North West Alliance is holding a planning conference from 10am, opened by Senator Glenn Lazarus.

Pilliga Protest Reasons

The lack of signs in the area is because
they have to be very high up to not get
pulled down

1. The Pilliga State Forest is a critical recharge area of the Great Artesian Basin.

2. Recharge areas provide the pressure head (or weight of water) needed to keep artesian bores flowing to the surface without the aid of pumps. Dewatering aquifers under the GAB will reduce the pressure head and stop the flow of bores and spring water flowing to the surface without the aid of a pump.

3. CSG may contaminate water in aquifers and the Great Artesian Basin which are both used to water stock and supply town water.

4. The steal and cement which plug the wells will corrode over time causing contamination and the water from the GAB to leak into the coal seam below where the gas and water has been removed.

5. The costs of replugging the wells will have to be paid for by future generations.

6. Santos has applied to have 850 gas wells in the Pilliga Sate Forest. All development approvals should cease until -

a. A pending court case is heard over the lack of a proper environmental assessment for this facility. http://www.edonsw.org.au/defending_the_pilliga_in_court

b. A Bioregional Assessment is completed later this year on the Great Artesian Basin. This is underway in order to better understand the potential impacts of coal seam gas and large coal mining developments on water resources and water-related assets. The Federal Department of the Environment, the Bureau of Meteorology, CSIRO and Geoscience Australia are all involved. http://www.bioregionalassessments.gov.au/products.shtml.

Information websites

Great Artesian Basin Protection Group http://www.gabpg.org.au/great-artesian-basin

Pilliga Push – peaceful direct action http://pilligapush.com/

Latest news

People for the Plains https://www.facebook.com/peoplefortheplains

Pilliga Push https://www.facebook.com/groups/pilligapush/

Action in The Pilliga

Check the Pilliga Push Facebook page for the latest action – so far today – new gate, foul smelling water sprayed over protesters, lock ons, gate opened – what’s going on!!

I visited the Pilliga Push camp yesterday to see and hear what was going on in the Pilliga with Santos’ coal seam gas project. This is the only coal seam gas project left in NSW and is in one of the critical recharge areas of the Great Artesian Basin.

Farmers to the west of Pilliga rely on this to water their stock and towns rely on it for their water supply. Currently water flows to the surface through bores without the aid of a pump but CSG threatens to stop this flow and it may contaminate the water or deplete it.

Therefore some very conservative farmers have been locking onto the gate into the Santos’ property to stop the company from building new infrastructure. When this happens work stops and the police do not come to arrest them. Today new gates were put on the gate with narrow mesh to stop them from locking on.

It is a different story when protesters from the camp do an action. They are first isolated by the police then intimidated, threatened and in some cases harmed. Some of these people are fearless some are fragile but they are doing something that they believe in. The gulf between activist and farmer has been bridged. Farmers are grateful for their continuous efforts. With recent rain the farmers work has increased and they cannot afford to spend the time at the site.

A big action is planned for 19-21 February but in the meantime an action will be on most days. If you have a journalist who likes to camp get them out there for a week or so. The camp is on private land, camping is free and the site is well set up and organised.

Let's stop CSG in NSW.

Information on Pilliga Push http://pilligapush.com/

Latest Action https://www.facebook.com/groups/pilligapush/

Great Artesian Basin information http://www.gabpg.org.au/great-artesian-basin

Great Artesian Basin scientific report http://www.gabpg.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/GAB-Report-Second-Edition_Final10032015.pdf

Risks to the GAB

Pilliga gas well

A paper published by the CSIRO in 2011 stated that ‘mining, manufacturing, and other industries use about 20% of all water consumed in Australia’. It recognised the fast growing mining industry, the risks it posed by discharging large quantities of water into the environment, and the resulting water management challenges.

Rob Banks’ outlines some of the risks to the Great Artesian Basin in an executive summary in his report on the Great Artesian Basin, published in December 2014.

Origins of the GAB’s Water

Since 1900 some of Australia’s and the world’s most respected scientists have argued about the origins of the water in the Great Artesian Basin. The common assumption was that any water taken out was replenished by rainfall.

Traditionally, the recharge for the GAB has been thought to be 30% of the basin, and that it was significant. The recently published information contained in this report shows clearly that effective recharge (>1 mm/yr) is only 6% of the GAB. (SoilFutures Report, p. 23)

Recent studies reveal that three theories apply to different sections of the basin and although it is replenished by rainfall it is at an alarmingly slow rate compared to the amount of water being taken out. The following are the three theories of the origins of the water in the GAB -

Rob Banks Researches the GAB

Coonamble NSW

Anne Kennedy, an advocate and campaigner for the protection of the Great Artesian Basin, was introduced to soil scientist Rob Banks by Penny Blatchford. Anne employed Rob to do a similar report to Penny’s, on the Petroleum Exploration Licence (PEL 238) which covered her property near Coonamble in the West Pilliga district.

Part of Penny’s and Anne’s PELs were on the Great Artesian Basin’s (GAB) recharge areas. Anne’s PEL covered part of the Coonamble lobe area, where artesian water is the only reliable water source. After completing Anne’s study, the NSW Artesian Bore Water Users Association commissioned Rob to study the recharge and discharge areas of the GAB in NSW and the potential risks from CSG.

Save North-West NSW video

Lock the Gate's Video on why people do not want Santos drilling for CSG in North-West NSW is worth a look. Read in my blog about what has happened in Chinchilla in Queensland. More coming soon - it gets worse with air and noise pollution, and the human health impacts. Do we want this in NSW? Most people say NO! I recently visited the Santos site in The Pilliga, the recharge area of the Great Artesian Basin. I saw three areas devastated by spills and the project is not fully operational yet! Let's stop it before it is. Keep asking where are all the salts going.

The Pilliga

Kill area in The Pilliga

This morning I met Tony Pickard for a tour of the Pilliga Forest. He showed me coal seam gas wells and what he calls ‘kill areas’, where water has escaped and killed the vegetation. Most of the spills happened when Eastern Star Gas held the licence and Santos, the current licencee has covered the spill areas with woodchip but evidence of salt can still be seen. In an attempt to dilute the salts thick irrigation pipes lie on the ground but some believe this just spreads the ‘kill area’. Trees in the area continue to die and the cypress pine and bull oaks are not coming back but some iron barks and gums remain. Noxious weeds, such as galvanised burr flourish in some of these areas.

Alone on the Road

Bulga Bridge

Denise woke up with a very sore throat this morning so she was made to stay in bed. I decided to go anyway as we didn’t think she would be better for at least a week. I had set up meetings with people who I knew would not be as readily available then. I decided to see what was happening in the Pilliga and then make up my mind about going further north to Queensland.