Welcome to our Business and Infrastructure Funding Opportunities Newsletter

Welcome to our Business and Infrastructure Funding Opportunities Newsletter where you will find details of grant and funding programs that are available for the Northern Inland Region for businesses and infrastructure projects.

Due to the number of grants that are available, we send two funding opportunities newsletters a month; one for Business and Infrastructure and another for Community Projects and Award Programs. These newsletters are a free service that we provide, and can you can add the Community Funding Opportunities and Awards Programs newsletter to your subscriptions by filling your details into on the left hand side of our website: www.rdani.org.au

THE state's mining watchdog has suspended the exploration licence of Narrabri Coal, for building unauthorised tracks in the Pilliga Forest.

The long-wall mine, which forms part of Whitehaven Coal's operations, was found to be in breach of its licence following a state-wide compliance blitz in June.

More than a dozen hollow trees, which provide important habitat to native animals, were knocked down. The unauthorised paths also failed to divert around environmentally sensitive areas.

Resources Regulator head honcho Anthony Keon said the mine's actions showed a "comprehensive failure" to follow "fundamental regulatory obligations".

"The construction of the unauthorised tracks resulted in significant environmental harm," Mr Keon said.

"Exploration activities are subject to strict conditions in order to ensure appropriate environmental protections.

Citizen science group, the Leard Forest Node, has been monitoring the mine's "progressive incursion" in to the Pilliga forest for a couple of years, spokeswoman Anna Christie said.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg, the Narrabri Coal mine has been flying under the radar for several years," Ms Christie said.

She was glad to see meaningful action taken against the mine, rather than just "a fine and a tap of the wrist".

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The suspension will remain in place until the mine conducts a full review of its compliance systems and can satisfy the watchdog that appropriate controls have been put in place.

Five other joint-venture partners also had their exploration licence suspended. The licence holders acknowledged the offending behaviour and offered to suspend all drilling and clearing activities.

The mine will be able to continue operating, however the suspension stops it from expanding or investigating new sites.

Whitehaven CEO Paul Flynn accepted that on this occasion the company failed to properly obverse its exploration obligations

"Based on our inquiries to date, the circumstances and communication failures that led to this outcome are unacceptable," Mr Flynn said.

"Whitehaven took immediate corrective action following the Regulator's site inspection, suspending all exploration activity and commissioning an independent audit and investigation to determine necessary corrective actions.

"The company is committed to ensuring all relevant issues are identified and addressed before exploration activities at Narrabri can resume and will continue to cooperate fully with the NSW Resources Regulator to achieve this outcome."

AWU national secretary Daniel Walton late last week rounded on the government for granting the status of "critical state significant infrastructure" to a proposed $589 million LNG import project in Newcastlewhich will now enjoy a streamlined approvals process.

The Berejiklian government has already given the green light for a separate, $250 million LNG import terminal at Port Kembla, backed by mining billionaire Andrew Forrest.

The plans for the two import terminals are racing ahead as Santos's $3 billion Narrabri coal seam gas project, which could supply up to half NSW's gas requirements, remains locked in the state government's approvals process.

But Mr Stokes said the Narrabri project has "big potential impacts" on the environment, and that in any case the state is "best served by a competitive market with multiple sources".

Member for Barwon, Roy Butler is calling on the NSW Government to commit to an inquiry into aspects of New South Wales water management and their impacts on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

Mr Butler’s call for an independent inquiry comes after consultation with communities, irrigators, graziers, towns, water researchers and ecologists, all of whom raised serious concerns about government decision making in relation to water management.

“I’m calling for an inquiry to restore public confidence, and identify how certain decisions contributed to the current conditions in western NSW,” said Mr Butler. 

“I have discussed the inquiry with Minister Pavey and provided her with the draft Terms of Reference. In our conversation, I emphasised that this inquiry is needed to restore the public’s confidence in the NSW water planning and management processes.

 A number of articles appeared in the news this week click the link to read them all.
Summary
Santos providing requested information about Narrabri project: Barwon MP
Barwon MP Roy Butler still concerned about CSG impact on Narrabri groundwater despite Santos ...
Govt to talk land acquisitions along Narromine to Narrabri with farmers for Inland Rail
Barwon MP Roy Butler still concerned about CSG impact on Narrabri groundwater despite Santos ...
Whitehaven growth defies softening coal markets
Community celebrates NAIDOC
More Dividends Likely From Whitehaven Coal
Safety first for Whitehaven
The ARTC will begin meeting with affected landowners in the Narromine section
Rail crossing danger concerns resident
 

The NSW government has blasted Santos for ramping up public pressure to secure approval for a $3 billion coal seam gas project, with Deputy Premier John Barilaro warning he "won't be pushed around".

Mr Barilaro, who also serves as Resources Minister, said the energy giant was to blame for any delays to the Narrabri Gas Project in north-western NSW.

Boggabri Coal will be able to transport small amounts of coal by road and realign its mine boundaries under approval from the Independent Planning Commission (IPC).

On Monday, the IPC signed off on modifications to five parts of the company's existing project approval for Boggabri Coal Mine including a coal stockpile area, drilling and exploration in the approved disturbance area, and an extension of the time frame for securing biodiversity offsets.

SANTOS has been slammed for refusing to provide the NSW government with the requested information about its coal seam gas development near Narrabri.

The gas giant recently responded to the concerns of various organisations, including 14 government agencies, in its Supplementary Response to Submissions.

In the report, Santos refused more than a dozen specific requests for information and commitments from the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA), the Rural Fire Service, and Narrabri council.

Narrabri farmer and Lock the Gate spokeswoman Sally Hunter said the company had refused the RFS's request to not flare gas during catastrophic bushfire conditions.

"This shows an extraordinary and reckless disregard for the safety of our community," she said.

"Santos has also refused the EPA's request to assess the capacity of landfill facilities to accommodate huge volumes of salt waste with potentially high concentrations of metals and other contaminants.

"It has refused Narrabri council's request that it obtain environmental insurance for offsite and long-term environmental harms, despite this being a recommendation made by the NSW Chief Scientist for all coal seam gas operations."

An NSW Department of Planning and Environment spokesperson said the company's response was being reviewed, in consultation with the relevant government agencies.

"In finalising its assessment, the Department may request additional information from Santos before referring the proposal to the Independent Planning Commission, which will make the final decision," they said.

"The Department wants to ensure a rigorous and comprehensive assessment is undertaken, given the complex nature of the application and the high level of community interest."

Santos did not respond to the Leader's request for comment.

Farmers and concerned citizens in north west NSW say the latest submission made by Santos about its controversial Narrabri CSG project is “arrogant” and “dangerous”, with the company refusing to provide information and commitments requested by the State Government and Narrabri Council.

Santos recently submitted a “Supplementary Response to Submissions” to 14 NSW Government agencies’ requests for information, data, and commitments from the gas company regarding the environmental risks of its proposed coal seam gas project.

Community resistance from a small town has left the future of a large scale pipeline project in question, writes Johanna Evans.

THE AUSTRALIAN PIPELINE ASSOCIATION (APA) has appeared to shelve their proposal for the high-pressure Western Slopes CSG Pipeline ahead of their upcoming AGM to be held in Sydney on 25 October 2018. The 460km coal seam gas pipeline (also known as “the head of the snake”) will link the Santos Narrabri Gas Project (NGP) to the Moomba/Sydney bi-directional pipeline that takes gas to the Curtis Island LNG plant for export.

In a recent release on their website, APA states:

WATER levels in Lake Keepit and Split Rock Dam could fall to as a low as 2 per cent and 5 per cent by the end of the year.

Santos has been fined by the NSW environmental watchdog for using water from its controversial $3 billion coal seam gas project for irrigation without approval.

The energy company copped a fine of $1500 by the Environment Protection Authority for using treated water from its Narrabri project in the state's north to irrigate lucerne on its own land.

Analysts say four proposed new gas import terminals around Australia have ended Santos’ contentious NSW Narrabri coal seam gas project.

Santos’ Narrabri project is a proposed $3 billion gas operation that has been consistently opposed by environmental groups, and now Macquarie Bank analysts believe the rise of Australian gas import terminals will end all potential government support.