Santos notes the determination of the National Native Title Tribunal handed down yesterday, that proposed future acts, being the grants of Petroleum Production Lease Application Numbers 13, 14, 15 and 16 for the Narrabri Gas Project, may be done.
The Tribunal imposed a condition, in each case, that Santos takes all necessary steps to ensure the Additional Research Program – as identified in paragraph 5.7 of the Narrabri Gas Project Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Management Plan – be implemented. This must be completed prior to the commencement of Phase 2 of the Narrabri Gas Project, pursuant to the Development Consent granted by the Independent Planning Commission of New South Wales on 30 September 2020.
Santos will continue to engage constructively with the Gomeroi people and work closely with them to ensure their heritage is protected and they benefit from the project development in a range of ways, including through training and employment, and involvement in all aspects of their cultural heritage protection and management.
Santos has a strong track record of working collaboratively with First Nations peoples in Australia and internationally.
The company has a range of cultural heritage and native title agreements in place with 23 Traditional Owner Groups and six Aboriginal Land Councils around Australia.
Santos has been consulting and working with the Gomeroi people since 2012, and in formal negotiations regarding the Narrabri Gas Project since 2015.
Narrabri natural gas is essential to ensure Australia’s energy transition to renewables and cleaner energy technologies maintains both energy security and affordability for all Australians over the coming decades.
A copy of the release can be downloaded here.