Energy Giant Accused of Bullying Hunter Landowners

BY BELLA MIDDLETON

                                           Photo Credit: The Conversation

Energy company Santos has been accused of bullying and intimidating land owners along the proposed Hunter Gas Pipeline route into allowing access to their land for the project.

Numerous residents along the route have received letters referring to visits and communications with the energy giant which they say never occurred. 

It comes as the company prepares to make progress on the controversial project, kicking off a new round of community consultations in the Hunter this week. 

President of the Hunter Gas Landholder Alliance Meg Bowman is shocked at claims Santos has met with local property owners without their knowledge. 

"Land owners have been sent letters stating 'thank you for recently meeting with our and access team'; these have gone out to many landholders and in none of the cases is that actually true.

We see these comments in these letters as trying to intimidate and threaten land holders."

Santos and the Hunter Gas Pipeline did not respond to questions about the letters and latest interactions with land holders. 

Fellow Hunter Gas Landholder Alliance member Anne McGowen has encouraged land holders to stand their ground and remember their right to say no. 

"I had someone contact me yesterday who said they had just received a letter from Santos. They wanted to know if anything had changed [regarding access]. I said no, nothing has changed. You have the right to say no," she said. 

"We think that Santos are sending these letters out so they can say to the department that they have been in discussions with the landowners when they haven't.

We have advised that [landowners] complain to the department and their local MPs."  

UPDATE: Gas Pipeline Go-Ahead Faces Push-Back

BY OLIVIA DILLON

A local MP is pushing to get the Hunter Gas Pipeline put on public land, rather than private property. 

Upper Hunter MP Dave Layzell, is calling for Santos to consider running the Pipeline through public land like travelling stock routes, to avoid disruption to locals. 

"It has to be something that's considered under this approval," Mr Layzell said.

Mr Layzell said consultation between Santos and local landowners needs to take place, before the best outcome for all parties can be achieved. 

"At this stage it's about surveying the land where the Pipeline is actually going through at the moment, and then we can actually try to look at alternatives, options, things that actually work for the community and landholders, rather than having a rigid pathway through their properties," he said.  

He also said moving the Pipeline onto public lands, would be an "appropriate way to gain community support for something that the state needs in general." 

EARLIER

NSW Treasurer Matt Kean's decision to give the Hunter Gas Pipeline the go-ahead is facing backlash. 

On January 13th, Mr Kean gave energy giant Santos, permission to explore possible routes from its Narrabri Gas project, to the east coast gas network. 

The project has the potential to provide up to half of the state's natural gas needs over the next 20 years, providing up to one million households with affordable gas. 

However, Greens MP and Spokesperson for Coal and Gas Sue Higginson, said the decision to green-light has been rushed. 

"Unfortunately, as it has been described by many experts, this project is a 'climate bomb'. We know right now, opening up new gas reserves is dangerous and reckless policy," she said. 

"The Santos project is too late. We are rushing through it. This is a project about delivering Santos profits. This is not a project in the national, regional or local interest."

Ms Higginson said the Pipeline is projected to 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 megatons in reductions per year. 

The corridor would cross through 95,000 hectares of Pilliga Forest, and is facing push-back from landowners and First Nation's custodians. 

Ms Higginson said their voices are not being considered. 

"We know this project is going to harm cultural heritage and of course, it's likely to harm the land and the water. We know the Gomeroi are standing strong and fierce in resistance. They do not consent to Santos and this project," she said.  

MP Seeking Feedback on Hunter Gas Pipeline Plans

BY OLIVIA DILLON

Local residents are invited to attend a meeting next month concerning the future of the Hunter Gas Pipeline. 

It comes after it was recently announced energy pioneer Santos had acquired the company, which owns an underground gas pipeline route between Wallumbilla in Queensland and Newcastle. 

Santos plans to use the company's pipeline route as part of their Narrabri Gas Project, which aims to deliver gas to east coast domestic markets in the shortest timeframe possible.

The proposed 833km pipeline would pass through communities in Scone, Muswellbrook, Singleton, Maitland and Newcastle. 

The community meeting has been organised by Federal Member for Paterson Meryl Swanson, and will give residents, farmers and landholders the opportunity to address Santos directly. 

"Some of the concerns include the depth of the pipeline, easements and how that will work, what people can plant above and around the pipeline, and the course of the pipeline; where it's actually going to be. Things like that are genuine concerns and I feel people have the right to be heard," Ms Swanson said. 

"Santos needs to have these consultations in good faith, which they've assured me they will," she added. 

The meeting will be held in Ms Swanson's office on the 19th of September. 

She said the community should take the opportunity to voice their concerns. 

"This consultation with Santos is a genuine process and I encourage people who are in my electorate and directly impacted, to reach out to my Raymond Terrance office and come along to the meeting in September."

The proposed Hunter Gas Pipeline route

New energy data suggests Kurri Kurri gas plant doesn't add up

BY DAKOTA TAIT

New data has put a damper on the recently-approved Kurri Kurri gas plant project, with concern it doesn't add up in the wider energy picture.

The Climate Council found gas contributed just 1.5 percent of the State's energy in 2021, the lowest level in 15 years.

Renewable sources, however, supplied 24.6 percent, or almost a quarter of the energy generated in New South Wales.

Across Australia, renewables provided five times as much power as gas.

The Climate Council's Greg Bourne, a former BP Australasia President, says the Hunter Power Project doesn't make sense from either a commercial or environmental point of view.

"It really doesn't stack up, and many people have actually said, this does not make commercial sense and it's more sort of driven by the politics and so on," Mr Bourne said.

"What we're seeing everywhere, is gas as a percentage in the mix, going down and down and down."

"What we think logically should be happening, and we're seeing it elsewhere as well, is more batteries, more storage, more hydro power, virtual power plants, and demand management, doing what is needed as we go forward."

"So our belief is that Kurri Kurri need not go ahead."

The Federal Government has long insisted the Kurri Kurri plant is necessary for both long-term energy supply and affordability with the closure of Liddell Power Station in 2023.

Labor also said their government would endorse the project, if it began operation on 30 percent hydrogen, after opposing the project for years.

But Mr Bourne says both the Government and the Opposition need to look toward the future.

"If you build Kurri Kurri with turbines that basically can only take a small amount of hydrogen, then pretty sure, the plant is going to be redundant and obsolete almost before it's built," Mr Bourne said.

"If you build it, so that it is completely ready for up to 100 percent hydrogen or hydrogen plus biogas, then it may be useful, and that's actually a commercial decision."

The data comes as AGL says its Bayswater Power Plant could close as early as 2030, due to pressures over emissions and the rise of renewable sources. 

It's announced a three year closure window between the end of the decade and 2033, despite previously aiming to shut its doors in 2035. 

Kurri Kurri power plant given the final environmental go-ahead

BY DAKOTA TAIT

The Kurri Kurri gas plant has been given the final go-ahead by the Federal Environment Minister.

Sussan Ley signed off on the environmental impact statement yesterday.

It means Snowy Hydro can now move forward with securing a construction contract.

A firm date for works to start hasn't been set, but the Government expect the plant to be up and running next year.

Ms Ley says the project isn't just vital for energy reliability and affordability, but the economy as well.

"This project is about two things," Ms Ley said. "It's about jobs in the Hunter, the importance of jobs in the Hunter Region, particularly with the unemployment rate heading down."

"But this is also about the transition to low emissions technology."

Labor announced last week it will support the project, on the condition the power plant starts operation on 30 percent hydrogen, with 100 percent usage by 2030.

But Energy Minister Angus Taylor says it's a backflip, without much behind it.

"Labor has said what they're going to do, without a business plan," Mr Taylor said.

"It's uncosted, although we know the construction cost is going to go up by $600 million."

"But their overall project is uncosted - they haven't explained where the hydrogen is going to come from."

Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley gave the project the final green tick.

Hunter community cheering as PM gives PEP11 the boot

BY DAKOTA TAIT

The Federal Government has said, they won't give the green tick to a controversial gas exploration permit off the Hunter coast.

The Government advised New South Wales and the National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator of their decision to refuse Advent Energy's application to extend PEP11 on Wednesday.

The future of the license has been in limbo for more than 300 days.

There's concern offshore drilling would devastate the marine environment, as well as industries reliant on the ocean and beaches.

Shortland MP Pat Conroy says the community's welcoming the move.

"It would imperil tens of thousands of local jobs," Mr Conroy said.

"You just think about all the jobs that depend upon our pristine coastline, whether it's tourism, whale-watching, hospitality, the cafes and restaurants along our coast, commercial fishing, recreational fishing, the bait shops."

"They all depend on our beautiful and healthy beaches and marine ecosystem."

The Federal Government announced the refusal, citing the community opposition and their own disagreeing with reasons for the extension, as well as concern the company couldn't raise funds in a timely manner. 

Mr Conroy says it's about time the permit was shown the door.

"For many of us, the only place we were allowed to go during the COVID lockdown was the beach, so lots of people were worried about losing their beaches and coastline," Mr Conroy said.

"I'm still angry that the Government took 300 days more than they did, but I am relieved by this decision."

Hunter Business Chamber Welcomes Narrabri Gas Project

BY DAKOTA TAIT

The Hunter Business Chamber has welcomed yesterday's decision by the Independent Planning Commission to approve Santos' Narrabri Gas Project.

CEO Bob Hawes says local industry needed reliable and affordable energy supplied from gas and thermal sources until the renewable energy supply could meet the demand.

"We've got a situation here in the Hunter where the industry have high power usage," Mr Hawes said. "They rely on a source of power that's dispatchable and available 24/7, and we're not quite there with renewables yet." 

A Business NSW report from last December suggested an impending energy shortage as well as a tripling in the price of gas has punished many businesses for a wider failure to make use of the state's rich gas supply.

Mr Hawes says work on the project should begin immediately to ensure the state does not encounter a predicted shortfall in five years time.

“Gas is a complementary energy source to renewables," Mr Hawes said. "Securing our gas supply will help support reliable and affordable power as the energy market continues to evolve and develop emerging technologies like hydrogen."

Mr Hawes rejected claims made by NSW Energy and Environment Minister Matt Kean that gas lacked long-term viability and that the Narrabri project was a "gamble".

"We haven't built the bridge properly yet," Mr Hawes said. "When we consider the amount of coal-fired power that is going to be turned off over the next twenty years, over 7000 megawatts of that is going to be in the Hunter, and we're not seeing replacement projects that can supply the same sort of power."

“The Hunter region is ideally placed to continue as a energy hub and powerhouse and building the bridge from where we are now to a secure energy future dominated by renewables will be enormously assisted by firming abundant, affordable and accessible gas supplies."

Image credit: reneweconomy.com.au