The bill was originally put forward by independent MP Justin Field and had passed the NSW upper house on Wednesday through support from Labor and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party, and sought an immediate moratorium on CSG in certain NSW areas.
But the bill was voted down in the upper house yesterday, with the state government then accusing the bill’s supporters of putting jobs in jeopardy.
The proposed $3 billion Narrabri CSG project is 100 per cent owned and operated by Santos and would involve the drilling of up to 850 gas wells, as well as the construction of processing facilities in NSW’s Pilliga region.
Santos General Manager and CEO Kevin Gallagher has always maintained gas produced at Narrabri would be cheaper than LNG imports, and if it goes ahead the project could create around up to 2,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) said if it had been successful, the bill would have been a “hammer blow to the economic wellbeing of regional NSW”.
“The only way to put downward pressure on gas prices for customers, including manufacturers, is to increase supply and competition,” said APPEA Chief Executive Andrew McConville.
“The Narrabri project does just that. Virtue signalling to a small and vocal minority risks making all of NSW more vulnerable.”
For more information visit the Santos website.
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