April 2023

Hunter Gas Pipeline monthly update 

The Hunter Gas Pipeline 

Welcome to the April 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.

April project status

Santos continues to work with the NSW Government as well as local councils, Traditional Owners and landholders along the proposed Hunter Gas Pipeline and Narrabri Lateral Pipeline routes to progress the projects. 

Field surveys continue to be undertaken along the proposed alignment where voluntary land access agreements are in place. 

Community information drop-in sessions have been finalised for May. More information about these sessions is available in the Community Engagement section of this monthly update. 

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

+ Compensation

+ Pipeline alignment

+ Biosecurity

FAQs spotlight - Compensation

Will an entry agreement for field survey activities include compensation?

+ Compensation for survey activities is included in the agreement in recognition of the time required to engage with Santos, including legal advice if required.

+ The field survey activities proposed at this stage of the project are non-invasive and will have minimal impact on the daily operation of your property. 

Do I get compensated for having the pipeline corridor on my property?

+ Yes, Santos will pay compensation for entering into the easement agreement.

+ Landholders will be entitled to compensation for the granting of the easement as well as for any loss of production during construction and ongoing operations.

+ During negotiations, we will seek to agree a fair value for compensation based on relevant external advice from valuers and agronomy professionals. We will also agree to cover your reasonable and necessary legal and valuation costs incurred from reviewing and advising on the agreement.

+ Santos’ compensation offer will include consideration of the effort involved in negotiating an agreement. Santos will attempt to minimise any impacts on a landowners’ usual business activities by meeting at a time which is most convenient. 

+ The compensation arrangement proposed for the granting of the easement will consist of a one-off payment. 

+ The easement terms will also provide for additional compensation in the future should Santos need to undertake activities within the easement outside of normal operations which result in loss, damage or other expenses to the landowner (i.e. maintenance activities).

Community Engagement

The next round of engagement sessions will be held in May. Sessions are scheduled to be held in Hexham, Tocal, Singleton, Aberdeen, Murrurundi, Gunnedah, Boggabri. 

A detailed list of locations, dates, and times can be found here on the HGP website.

Based on feedback from community members, we have arranged these sessions at different times and locations to previously held sessions along the alignment. 

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.

The project will extend for about 50-60 kilometres from the approved NGP gas processing facility at Leewood to the HGP east of Baan Baa. The final length of the pipeline will be dependent on the selection of the alignment. The pipeline will be primarily located underground, with associated aboveground infrastructure including isolation valves, meters, and regulators.

The Narrabri Lateral Pipeline has been declared by the NSW Government as a Critical State Significant Infrastructure project on the basis that it is deemed essential to NSW for economic reasons.

Santos' land access team is continuing to engage with landholders along the proposed alignment. 

Santos is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement, which will be subject to extensive community consultation and a full environmental assessment.

The Narrabri Lateral Pipeline Secretary's Environmental Assessment Requirements can be viewed on the NSW Planning portal website here.

Hunter Gas Pipeline and Narrabri Lateral map

The Hunter Gas Pipeline and Narrabri Lateral interactive map 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.