Pilliga coal seam gas developments breach Federal environmental law
Posted by Nature Conservation Council of NSW 9 months agoEastern Star Gas has conducted coal seam gas exploration and production activities in the Pilliga forest without seeking federal assessment on matters of national environmental significance.
A report by the Northern Inland Council for the Environment, The Wilderness Society and the Nature Conservation Council of NSW found the mining company has undertaken extensive coal seam gas exploration and production without seeking federal approval.
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Coal seam gas operations in the Pilliga have cleared more than 150ha and fragmented 1,700ha of bushland, drilled 92 coal seam gas wells, constructed 56.6km of pipelines, and operated 35 production wells without seeking approval under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. It is likely to have damaged the habitat of iconic threatened species such as the Pilliga Mouse and the Regent Honeyeater.
Eastern Star, recently bought out by Santos, has applied for Commonwealth approval for a large new coal seam gas field in the same area of the Pilliga as existing operations. If these future operations trigger federal environment laws, then so do the existing operations and Santos should immediately cease those operations and refer them to the Federal government.
Following the release of the report, a front page story in the Sydney Morning Herald and enquiries from the ABC, Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke announced his department would conduct an investigation of potential non-compliance.
You can listen to Pepe’s interview on Radio National’s Bush Telegraph program.
