Four Horses, 400 Km, and a Fight over a Gas Pipeline that Will Cross the State’s Most Fertile Plains

Why It Matters

The pipeline’s approval would lock in new fossil‑fuel infrastructure, affecting regional landowners, state emissions targets, and the economics of NSW’s gas market.

Key Takeaways

• Santos' Narrabri gas project still missing pipeline approval
• Over 460 landowners oppose pipeline, fearing land loss
• NSW government may use compulsory acquisition for private pipeline
• IEEFA analysis says Queensland gas cheaper than Narrabri supply
• Renewable advocates highlight declining gas demand and climate goals

Pulse Analysis

The Santos‑owned Narrabri coal‑seam‑gas field was granted planning consent in 2020, but its commercial viability hinges on two missing pipelines – a 55‑kilometre lateral linking the wells to the Queensland‑Hunter corridor and the longer interstate line that would carry the gas to Newcastle. Without these arteries, the project cannot deliver the promised up‑to‑half of New South Wales’ gas demand, a claim the state government uses to justify the investment. Yet the pipelines remain in planning limbo, with final approvals still pending and Santos yet to commit capital.

The proposed route slices through the Liverpool Plains, one of the state’s most productive agricultural region, and runs across the properties of more than 460 landowners. Many farmers have voiced strong resistance, warning that compulsory‑acquisition powers could force easements on privately held land and hand a monopoly over critical infrastructure to a single corporation. The protest led by Sally Hunter – a farmer‑turned‑renewable‑energy advocate – underscores the social friction that arises when private gas projects bypass the more transparent, publicly owned transmission model used for electricity.

Beyond the local dispute, the broader energy market questions the need for new gas supply. An Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) study finds that expanding Queensland gas output would lower prices more effectively than the Narrabri field, while the project would add a sizable share of greenhouse‑gas emissions, conflicting with NSW’s net‑zero targets. With gas demand trending downward each year, investors and policymakers are increasingly weighing the long‑term climate costs against short‑term energy security narratives, making the pipeline’s fate a bellwether for Australia’s transition to cleaner power.