NSW Deputy Premier Paul Toole has 'disappointed' concerned Coonabarabran community members after 'blatantly ignoring' their protests of the Narrabri Gas Project during his recent visit to the town on Friday 20 January.

Thirteen Coonabarabran district residents, including Gomeroi First Nations people, land holders, and broader community members gathered at the Coonabarabran Memorial Pool hoping to meet Mr Toole and speak as a local collective against the Narrabri Gas Project.

It comes just weeks after the Native Title Tribunal ruled that Santos could continue its multi-billion-dollar project, which includes drilling 850 wells in and around Pilliga without the consent of the Gomeroi people.

ABOVE: Some of the concerned community members who gathered at the Coonabarabran pool to speak with NSW Deputy Premier Paul Toole. PHOTO: Supplied.

Coonabarabran- based Gomeroi woman Suellyn Tighe expressed disappointment after Mr Toole's lack of acknowledgement on Friday.

"I was disappointed in a number of things. Firstly, that he slinked his way into town and only told a select number of important people that he was coming to announce grants- there was no involvement or acknowledgment of Gomeroi people in his visit," Ms Tighe said.

"Secondly, he had the opportunity to hear from concerned regional community members, and yet he chose to blatantly ignore us. It is time to call our politicians to account. Mr Toole is the Minister for Regional NSW, yet he continues to ignore a large number of members from regional communities. It is a disgrace," she said.

Ms Tighe said that Mr Toole should recognise the value of his constituents from this area.

"A mixed group of community members gathered to express our concerns about the Narrabri Gas Project receiving a green light from the Native Title Tribunal (NTT)," she said.

"As his constituents, he should have talked to us."

"He should value us as not only Indigenous people, but as people from rural NSW who have gone through a lot over the past ten years. From drought, to bushfires, to floods, to the pandemic. We have been through it all.

"It is a huge missed opportunity for both state and federal members to not tap into the knowledge that is out here, from people who have generations of experience," Ms Tighe said.

"The State and Federal Government keep pushing for a project that is extremely detrimental to our lives and the land. The Gomeroi Nation live underneath the national poverty line, and we are expected to go up against huge companies like Santos, the Federal and the State government systems who have deep pockets, access to infinite resources and are power brokers in Australia politics. It is not an even playing field."

ABOVE: The Narrabri Gas Project includes drilling 850 wells in and around Pilliga. PHOTO: Supplied.

North West Lock the Gate Coordinator Margaret Fleck is hopeful the gathering sent a clear message to the State Government.

"We found out on short notice that the NSW Deputy Premier would be in Coonabarabran, and we rallied 13 people to send a clear message to politicians that we do not want our land or water trashed," Ms Fleck said.

"It was an all in effort to have our voices heard and we will continue to remind Mr Toole at every opportunity possible that we are opposed to the Narrabri Gas Project going ahead. We do not want high pressure pipelines that cause incredible environmental damage going into the ground.

"There is too much at risk and landholders, the Gomeroi First Nations people and broader community members will continue to coordinate to put an end to this project," she said.