The state’s independent planning panel has been accused of “getting a one-sided picture of coal seam gas”, after freedom-of-information documents revealed it had sought briefings from gas giant Santos.
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Environmental group Lock the Gate Alliance said it was “shocked” to learn the NSW Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) went on a private tour of Santos’ coal seam gas facilities in Queensland, in preparation for its anticipated review of the Narrabri project.
The PAC is only supposed to assess projects after they have been specifically referred to it by the Planning Minister in a formal process.
The PAC tour, which took place on June 5 and June 6, included visits to Santos’ Roma gas fields and the Gladstone liquid natural gas processing plant.
PAC staff organised the trip in April, prior to the closing of public submissions on the Narrabri project (May 22), and without knowledge of the Planning Minister who has not yet asked the commission to make a determination on the project.
A PAC spokesperson confirmed the “briefing and familiarisation tour” was its own initiative.
“The commission undertook the visit independently,” they said.
“The Minister for Planning and the Department of Planning had no role in approving the visit or the agenda for any meetings.”
A Santos spokesperson said the company met with the PAC “after they requested a tour of Santos facilities at Roma and Gladstone to familiarise themselves with the project”.
“Santos supports the independent role of the PAC,” the spokesperson said.
“We also support facilitating visits to facilities to enable impacts to be assessed first-hand, allowing informed decision making in their independent role.”
Lock the Gate NSW coordinator Georgina Woods said the tour was outside the scope of the commission’s responsibilities.
“This is another appalling example of the gas industry getting a special deal and exclusive access to decision makers behind closed doors, while the community is left out in the cold,” Ms Woods said.
Documents show PAC commissioners took notes such as “there have been few complaints about the [Roma] project in recent years” and “there have been no cases in the United States or Australia where fracking for CSG has contaminated an aquifer”.
Following the release of the documents, PAC offered to meet with Lock the Gate to “engage on issues of interest to their organisation”.
This is another appalling example of the gas industry getting a special deal.
- Georgina Woods - Lock the Gate NSW
Jamieson Murphy
Newcastle Herald news director and business reporter. Interested in any and all yarns. Whisper g'day mate to me at jamieson.murphy@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Newcastle Herald news director and business reporter. Interested in any and all yarns. Whisper g'day mate to me at jamieson.murphy@austcommunitymedia.com.au
