No images? Click here February 2023
Hunter Gas Pipeline monthly update
The Hunter Gas Pipeline Welcome to the February Hunter Gas Pipeline (HGP) monthly update. The purpose of the regular monthly updates is to keep landholders and interested community members informed of project progress. February project status In January, the NSW Government approved an Authority to Survey (ATS) application that was lodged in July 2022. Our land access team continues to reach out to landholders and are making every effort to contact all landholders along the route to ensure they have an opportunity to ask questions or provide feedback about the proposed pipeline alignment. We hope to reach voluntary access agreements with all landholders. Santos will only use the ATS as a last resort in instances where all reasonable attempts to contact and negotiate access with the landholder or resident for the purpose of field surveys have been unsuccessful. More information about the ATS is available in our FAQ document on our Hunter Gas Pipeline website. Gas offtake points in regional towns Santos is committed to working with local councils along the pipeline route to ensure regional NSW towns can benefit from the project. Santos is currently consulting with councils specifically in relation to the provision of off-take points along the alignment to service regional towns. The outcomes of this consultation will be incorporated into the final pipeline alignment. With offtake points at regional towns along the route, the opportunity exists to provide gas supply requirements to businesses along the route. Businesses wishing to register their interest in future gas supply opportunities should register at: Opportunities - Hunter Gas Pipeline. Where are we up to? Santos continues to consult closely with landholders, councils representing the broader communities, and all other stakeholders. Frequently Asked Questions Santos has developed a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document that provides information to questions landholders and the community have asked about the project. We have provided answers to these questions in a comprehensive FAQ document that can be found on the HGP website here. Some of the topics included in the FAQ document include: + Authority to Survey + Field survey + Pipeline alignment + Biosecurity FAQs spotlight - Pipeline alignment The HGP pipeline alignment is expected to be finalised in 2023. We encourage landholders to provide their feedback about the alignment and any route change requests they may have for Santos to consider prior to finalisation of the route. Can the proposed pipeline route be moved either outside my property or along the fence line? + Santos is working to finalise the exact location of the pipeline and the permanent easement, taking into consideration potential constructability issues, landholder feedback and preferences, and environmental considerations. + The project’s approval enables the pipeline to be moved within and potentially outside the approved 200 metre corridor if certain conditions are met. Specifically, these conditions relate to reducing impacts to biodiversity, cultural heritage or human amenity; avoiding geological or topographic constraints; and consultation with potentially affected landholders and relevant government agencies. + We are committed to finding the right balance so that impacts to landholders are minimised, and sensitive areas are protected. + We strongly encourage landholders to engage with us during the survey process so that we can understand any specific concerns and address these wherever practical in finalising our alignment and construction methodology. How will a pipeline on my property impact my business operations? + Australia has a strong history of safe pipeline operation with over 39,000km of natural gas pipelines in operation across the country. + To ensure the safety of landowners and the community, all gas transmission pipelines in Australia are designed, constructed, operated and maintained in strict accordance with the Australian Standard AS2885. + This standard exists to ensure protection of the pipeline, which in turn ensures the safety of the community, protection of the environment and security of gas supply to users. + AS2885 requires Santos to design the pipeline to accommodate all reasonably foreseeable circumstances including loads associated with farm machinery. + Where landholders indicate that they need to traverse the easement with heavy machinery, we will ensure that the design of the pipeline is appropriate to accommodate the additional loads. This may involve additional burial depth, thicker walled pipe sections and/or dedicated heavy vehicle crossing points. + We are confident that we can accommodate all reasonable requirements for a full range of farm machinery and vehicles without impacting on a landholder’s day-to-day operations. + Additionally, normal agricultural production (including cropping) can recommence within the easement following construction. Community Engagement Planning is underway for the next round of community engagement sessions. These sessions will be included in a future monthly update edition. Landholders do not have to wait for an engagement session to contact us. Our project team is always available by phone or email to discuss the project or arrange to meet landholders at a time that is convenient to them. If you would like to speak to a member of the team or arrange a meeting, please call 1300 427 546. Narrabri Lateral Pipeline The Narrabri Lateral Pipeline will connect the approved Narrabri Gas Project (NGP) and Hunter Gas Pipeline (HGP), transporting natural gas to the existing transmission network near Newcastle. On 9 December 2022, the NSW Government declared the Narrabri Lateral Pipeline a Critical State Significant Infrastructure project on the basis that it is deemed essential to NSW for economic reasons. Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) were issued by the NSW Government on 9 February 2023 which specify what issues are required to be addressed within the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Santos will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement, which will be subject to extensive community consultation and a full environmental assessment. The Narrabri Lateral Pipeline SEARs can be viewed on the NSW Planning portal website here. Hunter Gas Pipeline and Narrabri Lateral map Both maps relating to the Hunter Gas Pipeline and Narrabri Lateral can be viewed on the HGP website here. The interactive map contains the proposed route with a search and zoom function. The alignment of the pipeline corridor will be finalised following landholder consultation and environmental considerations. Narrabri Lateral Pipeline project timeline Hunter Gas Pipeline website The HGP website contains information about the project including details around insurance, biosecurity as well as an interactive map with details of the proposed route and survey areas. |