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Call For Narrabri

Dead trees adjacent to a coal seam gas project in the Pilliga Forest

Call NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts – (02) 8574 5600

Always stay polite and calm.
The phone will be answered by an office assistant.
Introduce yourself and where you are from.
Tell them you want to pass a message on to the Minister about the Narrabri CSG project.
Ask them to take down your name and address and the points you raise.

Key Talking Points

Say that you have seen news today that the NSW Planning Assessment Commission has conducted a secret tour with Santos to Queensland gasfields and export terminal.

Tell them you are concerned this is likely to be outside the scope of the Commission’s responsibilities and in breach of its code of conduct.

Advise them that the community can no longer have any faith that the Commission can make a fair, unbiased decision on the Narrabri gas project.

Ask for an urgent commitment from the Minister that:

  • The Commissioners and staff who went on this tour will not be involved in making a decision on the Narrabri Gas Project

  • Communities will retain the right to challenge the merits of any final decision on the Narrabri project in the Land and Environment Court

Let Us Know How It Goes

Leave a comment on this page with feedback on how it went, and what response you received.

Background

Documents obtained by Lock the Gate under freedom of information laws reveal that the independent commission charged with making decisions about major gas projects in NSW conducted a secret trip with Santos to tour it’s CSG gasfield and LNG export terminal.

Lock the Gate alleges that the clandestine tour by the NSW Planning Assessment Commission was outside the scope of its responsibilities and in breach of its code of conduct.

The documents reveal that the Planning Assessment Commission began organising the trip while the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a highly controversial Santos CSG project near Narrabri in North West NSW was still on exhibition for public feedback.

The EIS received a record 23,000 submissions, almost all of which were objections.

The Planning Assessment Commission is expected to be the final decision maker on the Santos Narrabri Gas Project. However, it is only supposed to assess projects after they have been specifically referred to it by the Planning Minister in a formal process.

That process has not yet commenced for the Narrabri Gas Project.

Read more information and review the FOI documents themselves here.

 


Showing 11 reactions

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  • Julia Walsh
    commented 2017-08-14 13:23:57 +1000
    Call made ~ points were noted and I was encouraged to put in writing as well.
  • Kym Ponting
    commented 2017-08-12 19:35:59 +1000
    CSG is a Terrorist Attack on Australia being the 2ND DRIEST Island Nations in the WORLD!!!! BAN this INDUSTRY as it once was IMMEDIATELY!!!
  • Andreas Dalman
    commented 2017-08-11 20:10:53 +1000
    After hours so I have used the web form at: https://www.nsw.gov.au/your-government/ministers/minister-for-planning-minister-for-housing-and-special-minister-of-state/

    I agree that an ICAC investigation should be performed to get to the bottom of the conflict of interest of PAC members being courted by Santos ahead of their likely involvement in decision making for the proposed CSG project at Narribri
    I believe that even a perceived conflict of interest should force PAC participants to recuse themselves from any dealings with Santos..
  • Max Hemmerle
    commented 2017-08-11 19:58:57 +1000
    Unfortunately I only got to talk to the answering machine, but I did tell them the key talking points and also expressed my severe concerns about the Rocky Hill Open Cut Coal Mine proposed to go ahead right near town, and that as a teacher I can not take responsibility for pupils having to breathe in coal dust, fumes from explosions and put up with the noise etc. Cheers Max Hemmerle
  • Nicola Chirlian
    commented 2017-08-11 16:22:36 +1000
    Hi there – I also spoke to Bo in Minister Roberts office. She listened to my polite rant, and asked that I write a letter – email is ok. Go to NSW Gov.au – then to a blue band on the page, 3 drop down menus to “your gov’t” , then to Ministers, then to Planning – Roberts gets you to the web form.
  • John Teagle
    commented 2017-08-11 15:24:14 +1000
    If there is hard evidence of corruption the matter should be referred to the NSW ICAC for investigation.
  • Dick Clarke
    commented 2017-08-11 15:16:16 +1000
    Bo (?) at Minister Roberts office took my concerns and contact details. She asked that I put it in writing in order to get a formal response. I will be doing that for sure!!
  • Nicola Chirlian
    commented 2017-08-11 14:18:48 +1000
    They have gone to ground – 2.17pm and message to leave a message. I will try again later.
  • Anne Graham
    commented 2017-08-11 11:29:43 +1000
    I spoke to Chris who suggested I go online with my comments , I asked him instead to make a note of my name, address and phone number and my remarks which he did. He told me that I would not receive a reply from Minister Roberts by making a phone call. IF I wanted a reply, I should go online to the Ministers website - search “Contact Minister Roberts” -— I asked Chris if comments that arrived at the Minister’s office via an organisation like Lock the Gate were given much attention or just dismissed as coming from ‘them again’ . He said that yes, everything was of course considered , but that comments from— I’ll call them ’real people- i.e. not aligned with an organised group may receive more consideration……. and so it goes…..
  • Dean Draper
    commented 2017-08-11 11:07:07 +1000
    A total breach of trust!
  • Phil Crockford
    commented 2017-08-11 11:06:51 +1000
    You are joking of course how can any corrupt government body especially in NSW be trusted or held accountable they have demonstrated this by their secret visit to Santos to get their orders from their real employers “Santos” . NSW and QLD State Governments are the most corrupt Governments in Australia by their dealings with the CSG and electricity mafia.