National

Narrabri gas project appeal granted on public interest

By AAP Newswire

Mar 6, 2024

Santos staff look at construction of a system at Leewod, near Narrabri — The Federal Court has allowed an appeal to proceed against the approval of a coal seam gas project. -AAP Image

Traditional owners of land slated for a major coal-seam gas project have won the right to appeal against its approval.

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The tribunal that awarded energy company Santos mining leases for the Narrabri gas project in northern NSW failed to consider the public interest in the project's environmental impact.

"There are a number of passages in the tribunal's reasons which indicate that it did indeed consider it was no part of its function ... to evaluate for itself the environmental impact of a project such as the Narrabri gas project," Federal Court of Australia chief justice Debra Mortimer said in a decision allowing the appeal on Wednesday.

"The tribunal's decision and reasoning on public interest is affected by the errors alleged," she said.

Santos was given the go-ahead to proceed with the project in December 2022 after approaching the National Native Title Tribunal following discussions with the Gomeroi people.

The Gomeroi people asserted Santos had not negotiated in good faith, however this was rejected by the Federal Court, with the appeal allowed due to the identified error in the consideration of public interest of the project's environmental impact.

The parties have until March 13 to file proposed orders with the court, or March 20 for submissions on appropriate orders if they cannot agree on them.