Angry locals as Narrabri gas project gets NSW Labor go-ahead

"Penny Sharpe has been a significant campaigner for green issues," Ms Gunn said.

"And this just seems to fly in the face of moving towards a greener future."

On Saturday night Penny Sharpe told the ABC the $3.6 billion Santos coal seam gas project being built at Narrabri "had been approved".

"And we are not changing on that and it will go ahead," Ms Sharpe said.

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Rosemary Nankivell said it was "appalling" to hear Ms Sharpe's comments after the Labor minister visited the Liverpool Plains with her colleagues about ten years ago, promising there would be no gas fields there.

"They spoke pretty strongly against the gas," Ms Nankivell, a Liverpool Plains farmer, said

"So what they're doing now is pretty appalling, they've just done a complete backflip."

Ms Nankivell said she and other locals are "determined to stop this project and keep it off the Liverpool Plains".

Liverpool Plains cropping and cattle farmer Peter Wills said they will be seeking a complete review of the Future of Gas Statement released by the NSW Liberal government in 2021.

"They have no care for what our business is and how it operates," Mr Wills said of Santos.

"[They're] dissecting people's irrigation and cropping paddocks willy nilly with no concern of how we run our businesses."

Before the statement was released, former deputy premier John Barilaro said "mining in the Liverpool Plains would be prohibited. Full stop".

The Narrabri gas project is expected to plug a gas shortfall over the next couple of years, with stage one of the pipeline being a controversial 415km planned to run from Baan Baa to Newcastle.

Santos was contacted by The Leader for comment but did not provide a response.

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