- FCA and 8400 farmer members stand with farmers fighting Narrabri gas pipeline
- Farmers are going to court to fight the pipeline, which tears up farmland and risks water supplies
- Gas is a gamble for our farmers, their water and our food supply
Tuesday, 10 June, 2024
Farmers for Climate Action and its 8400 farmer members stand with the group of farmers fighting the Narrabri-Hunter gas pipeline in court.
Mullaley Gas and Pipeline Accord are bringing the project to court to protect water supplies. Accord spokesperson Noni Wells said: “The farms and families in this region are utterly dependent on clean, reliable water. We’re going to court because every decision that could put water at risk must be assessed with the care it deserves.”
“Gas is a gamble for farmers, their water and our food supply,” FCA CEO Natalie Collard said.
“This Santos gas pipeline should not be allowed through farmers’ land without their permission. This Santos gas pipeline risks farmers’ water, tears up farmland and requires native forest to be cleared.
“We call on all farm groups to support this group of farmers and their court action, including the National Farmers’ Federation and NSW Farmers Association.”
For NSW third-generation mixed sheep and cropping farmer Peter Holding, the risks and damage beyond the present are grave.
“The pollution from the project will still be in the atmosphere in 500 years.
“Every coal and gas project makes bushfires, droughts and floods a little more intense and more frequent. Farmers on the NSW coast are dealing with repeat flooding while farmers in other places, like western Victoria and South Australia, are dealing with drought. The unprecedented Black Summer fires five years ago killed 33 people and burned down 3000 homes.
“The Bureau of Meteorology records reveal that there were 14 extreme fire danger days in the 1960s, and 143 in the 2010s. These extremes are costing farmers – the Insurance Council of Australia has clearly stated climate change is sending insurance costs up.
“Gas is a gamble for our farmers. It’s time we stopped playing with farmers’ futures and the sustainability of rural communities.”
