“The Morrison government’s approval of the Santos Narrabri gasfield has only strengthened the resolve of local traditional owners, farmers, and concerned community members to continue the fight against the destructive project,” Lock the Gate said in a statement.

“The gasfield lacks significant local support, with a majority of submissions to the Independent Planning Commission from people living in the immediate Narrabri local government area and the local region objecting to the project.”

Gomeroi traditional owner Polly Cutmore said there would continue to be a gathering of Gomeroi people to determine the best strategy to continue fighting the gasfield.

“Scott Morrison doesn’t decide for us, the IPC doesn’t decide for us what happens on our country. These policies and procedures are just to suit white men, not us,” she said.

“This is just another example of attempted, devastating colonialism, only now instead of hiding behind the fence, we’re at the table. We are coordinating.

“Gomeroi people are coming together, the whole Gomeroi Nation are talking about the destruction of the gas mining, especially to the Great Artesian Basin.

“That’s the number one fight we have – to save the Great Artesian Basin.”

Local farmer Scott McCalman said he and other landholders across the Narrabri district were furious at the Morrison and Berejiklian governments for supporting the gasfield.

“The debilitating impacts of climate change on food producers in Australia have been felt for at least the past 20 years and are increasing in severity, yet politicians want to blast more emissions into the atmosphere with this polluting gasfield,” he said.

“The methane leakage alone should be an absolute clarion call for both state and federal politicians to pull their heads in and wake up to themselves, let alone the damage this project will do to groundwater.

“We are experiencing daily temperatures way above average, and evaporation rates that are drying our country to the bone.”

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