We protect what we love

FRIDAY . 04 . 02 . 22 .

Happy Friday wonderful FWP people! Hilary here, again!

If you follow us on socials (@forwildplaces) you may have seen my mug across your stories this week, as I shared a few moments from my magical trip to the Pilliga. I’m writing this from the Newcastle Airport, feeling a bit sad to have left the warm, homely embrace of Maria and the family at Barkala Farm and Pilliga Pottery. In this week’s newsletter I’m going to share a few highlights (and lowlights) from the trip, as we count down the weeks til Pilliga Ultra (finally!)

FWP & TWS UNITE

This event would not be possible without the support of The Wilderness Society (TWS), and after many months of planning, delays and Zooms, it was fantastic to finally meet Victoria Jack, the NSW Campaigns Manager from TWS. We set off from her hometown of Newcastle, headed north west to Pilliga Pottery. It was my first time driving through the Hunter Valley, and I was gobsmacked by the absolute destruction of the beautiful, lush environment which is now an enormous hole in the ground. Seeing the destruction that fossil fuel extraction has on a landscape felt like an omen, as we were headed to the Narrabri Gas Field, which is facing similar fragmentation through the development of 850 coal seam gas wells.

Victoria and Hilary frowning at the gigantic mining hole in the earth.

WHAT IS THE NARRABRI GAS PROJECT?

We were heading up to the Pilliga to meet with the local Gomeroi mob from Coonabarabran and Narrabri, who will be warmly welcoming us onto their Country in March. The Pilliga Forest is a very sacred landscape for the Gomeroi people, who have been fighting against Santos (coal seam gas) and Whitehaven (coal) for over 15 years. The Pilliga Forest is over 500,000 hectares, and Santos claim that less than 1% of this is going to be affected by the Narrabri Gas Project. However, the fragmentation of these gas wells and the necessary infrastructure will carve up this wild, vast forest, introducing weeds, foxes and other pests into what is vital territory for many threatened and endangered native species.

Picturesque walk through the Pilliga.

The coal seam gas extraction process may seem unobtrusive above ground, but most of the action is underground. Kilometre long pipes are drilled into the earth, tapping into the coal seams far below the surface. But to extract the gas, the water must be pumped out first to depressurise the wells. The water pressurising the coal seams has been there for centuries, and contains high amounts of salts, heavy metals and often uranium. The fracking fluid is then pumped down to crack open the rock and extract the gas. The fracking fluid mixes with the gas (methane) and returns to the surface to be separated. Santos claims the fluid is harmless, containing less than 1% of chemicals. However, testing shows it contains a range of toxic chemicals with very long, scientific names, but are more commonly known as bleach, anti-freeze and hair bleach. The water is supposed to be contained and treated at treatment plants, such as the Bibblewindi Water Treatment Plant, which we visited with two Narrabri women. Under the watchful eye of Santos security cameras, we walked around a large rehabilitation area which was the site of a treatment water spill in 2014, with the water containing 20 times the safe levels of uranium. Despite being irrigated and replanted, the native species have struggled, and the site is relatively bare in comparison to the healthy, uncontaminated bush that surrounds it.

Hilary, Karra, Aunty Polly and Victoria

As we walked, we heard stories of car tires being slashed, intimidation tactics and community division being caused by Santos’ Narrabri project. Further along was the compressor station, which pressurises the coal seam gas and sends it to the Wilga Park Power Station near Narrabri, which is already running off methane from these ‘exploration’ wells. Meanwhile, a gas outlet flare shoots a naked flame a meter up into the sky, which seems kind of dangerous in the middle of a forest the size of Belgium, no?!

After seeing the gas-fields up close, it was time to head into Narrabri to meet with Aunty Polly Cutmore and Karra Kinchella, two Gomeroi women who are fighting to protect the Pilliga. Last year, they helped compile the MEHI Report - ‘Pilliga Forest: Cultural Values and Threats from Coal and Gas’ - which details the many endangered birds, animals and plants native to the Pilliga, as well as the vast range of bush foods and medicines found in the Pilliga. Aunty Polly and Karra are taking part in the Pilliga Ultra, and are on a team with other Gomeroi women, called ‘Yinarr’s of the MEHI Centre’ with Yinarr meaning Aboriginal woman in Gomeroi.

Victoria and I spent the afternoon with Aunty Polly and Karra, hearing the many ways the Santos project is not only fragmenting the landscape, but also the community. Santos has been active in Narrabri for 15 years and, to date, have spent $1 billion dollars on the project. However, since Santos are still in the 'exploration phase', this production is considered non-profit, therefore are not paying royalties to the local community or Native Title holders as promised.

Roads and cleared gas pipelines intersect the Bibblewindi site  with trees cleared to make way for the infrastructure.

WATER IS LIFE

Throughout our time in the Pilliga, one word stood out: Water. Water is life in North Central NSW. Up until 2020, they endured relentless drought, with farmers around Coonabarabran, including Barkala Farm, carting water for stock and household use as the tanks and springs were dry. Narrabri and Moree are in the unique position of having enough water to sustain them for the next 500 years, due to sitting on a particular part of the Great Artesian Basin [GAB], meaning they can tap into the vast underground supply, with its clean, potable water. However, the health of this water supply and the GAB is also at risk, with underground fracking disrupting the ancient and fragile filtration system. Nestled between the inactive volcanoes of Mount Kapatar and the Warrumbungles, the fertile plains of Narrabri are not only a food bowl, but also serve as the recharge system for the GAB. Through the sandstone of the floodplains and Pilliga forest, freshwater feeds into the GAB, which covers two thirds of Australia, and provides NSW, NT and QLD with a reliable underground water supply. Simply relying on a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude to high pressure blasting through this precious geology and hoping that production water and gases don’t compromise this vital water source seems like a major environmental disaster waiting to happen.

 The last of the summer wildflowers are still out in bloom, including the beautiful flannel flower.  It’s illegal for me to take some seeds from this plant out of the forest, yet Santos can bulldoze swathes of land to extract a dying resource.

Despite decades of dispossession and fighting for land rights, Aunty Polly and Karra are hopeful that the power of people prevail, and the Narrabri Gas Project can be stopped. The appreciation they expressed to Victoria and myself for caring about their Country and hosting an event to raise awareness to protect was humbling and incredible to hear. It made me even more motivated to make this event a true celebration of the Pilliga, and do what we can to help them in the fight. 

We are very grateful to the Traditional Owners from Narrabri and Coonabarabran who will be welcoming us on Country, spending the weekend with us at Pilliga Pottery. They will welcome your questions, friendship and support. It’s their hope that every voice that visits the Pilliga will return to their community and share the plight of the Pilliga and help build momentum behind this movement being driven by relentless and passionate First Nations peoples.

Karra and Aunty Polly.

JOIN US AT THE PILLIGA

If you’d like to join us in the Pilliga on March 26th, you can still sign up to participate in the 6km with the Yinarr’s, or in the 20km and 50km events. We are also in need of volunteers to help with all aspects of the event, with tasks suitable for people of all ages and abilities. You can read more about the volunteer roles, and sign up to volunteer. Alternatively, you can donate to the runners participating, which will support these communities in their ongoing fight against Santos. If you’re not in a position to donate, sharing to social media and telling friends and family about the Pilliga is also a fantastic way to show your support.

Stay tuned for more updates on the Pilliga campaign via our Instagram and Facebook, and as always, thank you for taking the time for wild places.

Hilary & the For Wild Places team.

CHECK US OUT ON INSTAGRAM



We acknowledge the the First Nations people who have been custodians of land, waters and culture for tens of thousands of years. We pay respects to First Nations Elders past, present and emerging.

This newsletter was compiled on Darung nation lands. To these people, we pay our respects.

Always was, always will be.

By For Wild Places

We're a group of adventurers who love to

protect wild places we run on