2023-01-17
Late last week, NSW Treasurer and Minister for Energy Matt Kean signed an Authority to Survey (ATS) that gives enormous power to Santos’ Hunter Gas Pipeline company to enter private land without permission from landowners.
This follows the Premier’s announcement at the end of last year that the Government would be fast-tracking this project, contrary to the wishes of the community. In December of 2022, landholders from the proposed route of the Hunter Gas Pipeline rallied outside of Matt Kean’s electorate office in opposition to the project and made it clear that they will not be giving permission for Santos to enter their property for the purposes of the pipeline.
If approved, the pipeline would be used to transport gas from the approved Santos gas project in the Pilliga across the food producing and flood prone Liverpool Plains and then on to Newcastle. This gas project is a “climate bomb” that will emit huge amounts of potent greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Greens MP and spokesperson for Coal and Gas, Sue Higginson said; “This project is a very dangerous and rushed step towards the Santos gas project in the Pilliga Forest becoming fully operational".
“Despite decades of opposition to gas development across the Hunter Valley and Liverpool Plains, this Government and Matt Kean are pushing ahead with this unpopular, unnecessary and frankly dangerous project."
“The NSW Coalition try to paint themselves as good on Climate Action and the Environment, but the truth is that they have no plan to reduce our impact on the climate."
"This project will lock in an additional 5 megatons of carbon dioxide going into the atmosphere every year at a time when Australia and NSW are trying to find more than 7 megatonnes in reduction per year."
"If we have any hope of seriously tackling our contribution to climate change then these projects cannot go ahead. Matt Kean knows this but his actions on this project and others don’t line up with his promises and commitments,“This pipeline is part of a plan by Santos to recoup their investment in the Pilliga Forest and they are pursuing it with complete disregard for anything except their own selfish profit margin."
“I stand with the landholders, First Nations custodians and the environment against this reckless move towards approving a project that will put communities at greater risk of severe fires and floods as the climate continues to be changed,” Ms Higginson said.