Eastern Star responds to farmers' criticismsPosted October 13,...

Eastern Star responds to farmers' criticisms

Posted October 13, 2010 16:26:00

* Map: Narrabri 2390

Eastern Star Gas says its proposed gas pipeline from Narrabri to Wellington in New South Wales does not pose a threat to farmers' productive land, or the safety of the community.

Nearly 90 farmers, from Tambar Springs to Boggabri, are banding together to urge the company to change the pipeline's route.

They say they are inviting the Premier, Kristina Keneally, to inspect the properties that the pipeline will impact, saying it poses a risk and will be undermined by erosion on the blacksoil floodplain.

But Eastern Star's Chief Commercial Officer, Roland Sleeman, says the dangers from gas pipelines are negligable and the infrastructure is more common than most people realise.

"Certainly, the pipeline itself is buried with a minimum depth of cover of 750-millimetres and in circumstances when you go under roads it's buried at a deeper depth," he said.

"There are pipelines, of course, running already all the way from Adelaide into Sydney and, indeed, there is a pipeline from Marsden via Dubbo to Tamworth; all high-pressure pipelines operating in the regime that we're talking about."

The gas in the Narrabri-to-Wellington pipeline will travel at pressures ranging from 10.2 megapascals to 15.3 megapascals, about 1,500 psi to 2,200 psi.

The pressure in the average car tyre ranges from 30 to 35 psi.

Roland Sleeman says the Narrabri-to-Wellington pipeline is only part of Eastern Star's gas development plan.

In November last year, the company lodged a concept plan for expanded gas development with the NSW Department of Planning.

"It's not yet found its way into the public domain, but that document outlines gasfield development, including the development of an Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) plant at Newcastle," he said.

"We own a 24-hectare sight on Kooragang Island in Newcastle and we bought that piece of land specifically as a base for the proposed LNG export project."

Roland Sleeman says Eastern Star Gas, which was floated in 2001, intends submitting its Preliminary Environmental Assessment for the LNG plant to the Department of Planning within the month.

He says the company wants gas flowing into NSW for use in power stations as early as 2012, and certainly by 2013