Farmers on the New South Wales Liverpool Plains are concerned oil and gas company Santos is a step closer to building its controversial Hunter Gas Pipeline project after a surprise land purchase.Directors of a company negotiating access for the pipeline created a separate company and bought land along the route
"Santos has a commercial lease agreement with the purchaser to use the property for approved activities related to the Hunter Gas Pipeline," the spokesperson said. He hosts a number of CSG wells on his land and says his dealings with Santos have always been fair and reasonable. "All of a sudden there's gas, they're all up in arms. I can't see what the problem would be if it's done properly."Jemilah Hallinan, a lawyer with the Environmental Defenders Office, said while Santos still had a lot of planning work to do she was unsure of the significance of the land purchase by the Santos-linked Perlubie Property Holdings.
"Santos has more than 100 land access agreements in place that cover surveys for more than half the pipeline route," a Santos spokesperson said.