Santos is set to progress its Narrabri Gas Project, with a new ruling from the National Native Title Tribunal allowing the New South Wales Government to lease the gas giant approximately 95,000ha of land to the south and west of Narrabri.
The Narrabri project includes the construction and operation of a gas field which includes refining facilities, gas and water processing, and associated infrastructure. Gas is to be extracted from coal seams between 300–1200m below ground, produced from up to 850 new wells on a maximum of 425 well pads.
Santos said gas from the Narrabri Gas Project could supply New South Wales homes, small businesses, major industries and electricity generators with up to half the state’s natural gas needs and bring substantial economic benefits to Narrabri and the region.
The 95,000ha project area is mostly located on state land in a section of the Pilliga set aside by the New South Wales Government for uses including logging and extractive industries. It does not include areas of national park or nature reserves, and operations will be located on around 1000ha of the project area.
Approximately 70 per cent of the total area of the leases overlap the northeastern portion of an area known as the Pilliga, an important cultural landscape of the Gomeroi people. The Pilliga is a conglomeration of forested areas that total more than 500,000ha, and the leases overlap approximately 13 per cent of this cultural landscape.
Following an initial inquiry into the granting of the leases in December 2022, the National Native Title Tribunal determined that the leases may be granted under certain conditions.
In January 2023, Gomeroi lodged an appeal of the 2022 determination with the Federal Court of Australia. The Full Court of the Federal Court unanimously rejected Gomeroi’s five grounds of appeal relating to good faith, but allowed the appeal on Ground 3, finding that the Tribunal erred in concluding it was prohibited from considering environmental matters except in relation to a ‘particular environmental concern having particular effect on native title’.
Accordingly, in April 2024, the 2022 determination was set aside, and the lease applications were remitted back to the Tribunal.
In its final determination on Monday 19 May, the National Native Title Tribunal ruled that the leases may be granted, subject to various conditions.
The Tribunal said given the nature of the project, its sensitive location for the Gomeroi people, and the lengthy approvals history to date, the evidence in the matter was extensive and the panel carefully considered and weighed up all the material before it.
When considering public interest, the panel placed significant weight on the project providing energy reliability if all the gas produced is made available to the domestic market as intended.
The Tribunal said evidence in this matter has shown that if the leases are not granted, there will likely be a gap in the available supply of reliable, secure energy on Australia’s east coast, which would have significant short-to-medium-term detrimental impacts upon the wider community, including Gomeroi people.
Weighing the public interest evidence, including the evidence addressing environmental matters, the panel found that the project offers a net public benefit, particularly where conditions are imposed to address the environmental and social impacts.
The imposed conditions cover three broad categories:
For there to be a net weighing that the project is in the public interest, all of the gas recovered must be used for domestic supply only
The strengthening of Aboriginal cultural heritage protections, as the evidence demonstrated identified risks to cultural heritage, including as a result of the project’s classification as a State Significant Development
The implementation of a ranger program covering the Pilliga Forest, to manage Country, protect the environment, and monitor and manage ecological threats. These conditions go to the cultural concerns and obligations of Gomeroi people, but also cultural safety and environment as important matters of consideration under public interest.
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Staff writer15 hours ago
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