For fourteen years I have been listening to Santos spin. I have been leading tours of the Pilliga gas field since visiting in 2011. I was shocked at the damage they have already caused. From the late 1990s, there have been 20 spills of contaminated ‘produced’ water from the 52 exploration wells. Produced water is a saline solution from the coal seam contaminated with cadmium, chromium, lead, and mercury, among others.
Great swathes of Pilliga Forest were killed by these spills, and although a few trees have grown in the contaminated areas, the forest has not fully recovered. There is still very little understorey and some species, such as ironbarks, cannot cope with the remaining salt.
Santos has been fined $1500 by the NSW Environment Protection Authority for contaminating an aquifer in 2014. With this history, it’s no surprise that farmers and communities are concerned for the aquifers and bores that they rely on for domestic and farming purposes.
Climate change means that there is an increased risk of catastrophic fires in The Pilliga. In December ’23 to January ’24 the gas field burnt. There is heightened danger created by the coal seam gas. Santos Wilga Park Power station uses gas from the exploration wells in Pilliga Forest.
Santos has paid $0 corporate tax on 48 billion dollars’ worth of Australian gas in the last 10 years. Santos pays no royalties on gas extracted in the Narrabri Gas Field. We are the third largest gas exporter in the world. We do not have a gas shortage problem; we have a gas export problem.
Santos Narrabri Lateral Pipeline Project through the Pilliga will further devastate the forest and farmland and poses an unacceptable threat to water. Santos Environmental Impact Statement is currently on exhibition. Submissions close on 18.12.25.
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