I grew up on a farm near The Pilliga and I have early childhood memories of my Dad driving through the forest following the narrow, sandy timber tracks that he knew well, but he’d often pretend to be lost. I would fall for it every time, and when I go to the forest these days I always have a good map. The forest is huge and the roads are still just tracks, so although I know my way around some places, I would not want to be lost or break down in there.
Between the tennis and cricket season, Mum would arrange for our family to meet up with cousins for a spring picnic in The Pilliga while the wildflowers were blooming. I remember the day I was too scared to climb the enormously high fire tower when all the other kids went up. We’d also meet up with friends in the Pilliga township for a swim in the nearby bore, and to watch a movie at the open air cinema.
In the 1980s I helped my mother type and edit stories written by an Aboriginal woman about her life growing up between the mission outside the township of Pilliga, and at camps along creeks in the forest where her father worked cutting railway sleepers. Her stories revealed the importance of the Pilliga to her family and her people, and their connection to it. Mum and I edited the stories very gently to make sure her voice came through.
One story was about the day a lady came to their camp in a ‘shiny black police car’, and took her eleven year old sister away to work for an old lady in Wee Waa. ‘She did housework and the milking in the morning and went to school during the day. We didn’t see much of her after that because the old lady did not want us to visit.’ Afterwards ‘when people came near to the camp we had to disappear.’
The Pilliga provided her family with work, food, a gathering place for her extended family and lots of places for children to play. It was also a place where it was easy for children to hide, and no doubt that saved many children from being taken.
In recent years I have returned to The Pilliga many times as an activist wanting to protect the forest, its biodiversity, its unique position as one of the few recharge areas of the Great Artesian Basin, and to support the Gomeroi people’s native title claim over the area.
Stop Coal Seam Gas Rally
On Thursday 14 September the Gomeroi, NSW Farmers, NSW Country Women’s Association (CWA), Unions NSW and Lock the Gate and other groups will meet at Customs House near Circular Quay at 11.30am. They will march to Parliament House to show politicians the diverse range of people against Santos’ Pilliga Narrabri Gas Project.
Santos’ coal seam gas (CSG) plans for north-west NSW include:
Pilliga Narrabri Gas Project – Santos gained approval (with conditions) from by both state and federal government in 2020 to drill 850 coal seam gas wells in the Pilliga Forest and surrounding farmland near Narrabri.
The Gomeroi people have appealed a decision by the National Native Title Tribunal to allow Santos to go ahead with the project without their consent. An appeal has been heard in the Federal Court and a decision is imminent.
Red is where Santos has applied to drill the 850 gas wells. The purple area is where they have exploration licences to expand the project.
Hunter Gas Pipeline – Construction of gas infrastructure cannot commence until a pipeline is approved to transport gas to the east coast. In 2022 Santos acquired the 413km Hunter Gas Pipeline (HGP), approved 10 years ago but never built. This passes through the prime agricultural land of the Liverpool Plains where Santos plans to expand their operation. Farms along the proposed route produce cattle, grains, vegetables and fruit (some organic). Most landholders are refusing Santos access to their property.
Pilliga Lateral Pipeline – The Narrabri gas lateral pipeline links the Narrabri Gas Project and the Queensland Hunter Gas Pipeline. Over 90 hectares of the Pilliga Forest will be cleared for a 30 metre x 30 kilometre easement with turnaround points and hardstands for materials.
Santos is currently preparing an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for the pipeline. When the EIS goes on public display, a submission guide will be available.
Learn more about this project at the rally from the people who will be affected by it.
Facebook Event
Watch the video
Gas Yarn 1 – Roma oil and gas discovery 1900
Gas Yarn 2 – Know your enemy
Gas Yarn 3 – How did coal seam gas start in Australia
Nanna Kathy has been researching and campaigning against coal seam gas since February 2011.