PERTH (miningweekly.com) - Oil and gas major Santos has finalised a voluntary planning agreement (VPA) worth A$14.5-mllion with the Narrabri Shire Council, enshrining that the Narrabri community will significantly benefit from Santos’ operations in the region.
The VPA delivers a range of key infrastructure upgrades in the town and surrounding area.
Santos MD and CEO Kevin Gallagher said officially entering into the partnership with Narrabri Shire Council demonstrated Santos’ commitment to the region.
“Santos has been committed to Narrabri for many years now and while the VPA has been discussed for some time, I’m pleased that Council took the final steps needed to formalise the partnership at the end of last year,” Gallagher said.
“Narrabri is an exciting place to be at the moment, with the potential for more jobs and more opportunities in the future linked to Santos’ Narrabri gas project. Importantly, for the community, the VPA will ensure that come final investment decision on the Narrabri gas project, the redevelopment of the Narrabri Airport Terminal, works on the Narrabri Tourism and Cultural Precinct, Narrabri CBD master plan upgrades, Narrabri Library relocation, and Country Universities Centre expansion, will go ahead.”
The Narrabri gas project has the potential to supply enough natural gas to meet up to half of New South Wales’ natural gas demand where more than one-million family homes, 33 000 businesses and 300 000 jobs rely on natural gas as a source of energy.
The project received federal approval in 2020 as well as that of the New South Wales Independent Planning Commission.