Upper Hunter farmers and landholders who will be impacted by the Hunter Gas Pipeline have joined a protest outside the NSW National Party's annual conference in Tamworth.
The conference will debate a motion that calls for the approved route of the Hunter gas pipeline to be immediately reviewed to prioritise placement on Crown land wherever possible so that there is a limited impact on prime agricultural land.
A separate motion calls for agricultural impact statements required by renewable energy developments to be accompanied with comprehensive field studies at a map scale unit not exceeding 10 hectares.
Both motions are expected to pass.
The former state government granted Santos an authority to survey in January, however, it does not have a pipeline licence.
Quirindi farmer Peter Wills said he hoped elected national MPs who remained had learnt the errors of their ways.
"It's time for a bit of soul searching - the NSW Nationals must oppose new gas fields at every level of the party," he said.
"If the Nationals truly represent farmers' interests, then now is the time for the party to declare its firm opposition to Santos' gas expansion plans.
Liverpool Plains landholders, whose properties are threatened by Santos' gasfield expansion plans, are also in attendance.
In 2019, the National Party passed a unanimous motion tabled by the Boggabri branch to lobby the then Coalition government to extinguish "zombie" petroleum exploration licences across the state.
Instead,former Deputy Premier John Barilaro resurrected 1.2 million hectares of gas exploration licences, of which about half sit over the fertile Liverpool Plains agricultural district.
"Liverpool Plains farmland must not be sacrificed so Santos can build new dirty, polluting gas fields and destructive high pressure pipelines," Mr Wills said.
"We expect the NSW Nationals will discuss water security and land use conflicts at this conference. We hope party members understand Santos' planned gasfields pose a massive risk to the groundwater farmers rely on across the Liverpool Plains, and will fracture communities and families if the company starts drilling and building on land against landholders' wishes."
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