CHRISTMAS has come early for many local residents with news breaking on Monday 5 December that the dreaded Western Slopes Gas Pipeline project has been cancelled and opponents are claiming a victory for 'people power'.

Shire Councils and landholders along the route began receiving an emailed letter from APA Group's General Manager - Infrastructure, Planning and Approvals, Gerard Coggan announcing their decision to "discontinue the development" of the Western Slopes Pipeline - effective immediately.

Santos, who are working to progress the Narrabri Gas Project in the Pilliga Forest, have recently purchased the Hunter Gas Pipeline and will transfer their efforts to that project.

The news caught many by surprise, especially farmers grappling with a flood-affected harvest, but the bush telegraph soon kicked in.

"It's very surprising that they've pulled it," said Melinda Mills, who farms near Tottenham with her husband Phillip and was part of the local push against the pipeline project.

"They had gone quiet for a long time but I was not expecting them to pull out. It's very exciting. I sent it out to our group to make sure they knew the good news."

"I'd like to think it's because they didn't want to battle with us," she said. "Or will it be like the Hunter pipeline which lay dormant for years and then raised its ugly head."

Mrs Mills' sentiments have been echoed along the alignment.

Melinda and Phillip Mills and their family on their farm near Tottenham. IMAGE: Wilderness Society

Kerry and Brian Hanigan in the Hollywood area just west of the Pilliga Scrub are in the midst of harvest and, like others we spoke to, were happy with the news but reluctant to celebrate too soon.

"We're just thrilled that our community pulled together and people were so strong across all the shires, but I don't feel we've won yet," said Kerry Hanigan, local farmer and member of the Great Artesian Basin Protection Group.

"My joy is overshadowed by my feeling for the people along the Hunter Pipeline route.

"It means they're still planning to go ahead with the Narrabri Gas Project," she said.

The 460 kilometre high pressure Western Slopes Pipeline was planned to transport coal seam gas from Santos' production facility in the Pilliga Forest to the Moomba Sydney pipeline at a point 100 kilometres west of Condobolin.

The pipeline route would skirt across the northern edges of the Pilliga Forest into Walgett Shire, run south of Pilliga village and head south west through the Coonamble, Warren, Bogan, Cobar and Lachlan Shires.

The pipeline would also have cut through territory of three separate Local Aboriginal Land Councils.

Mrs Mills says that this became a big issue at a community meeting with APA Group in Tottenham in 2017 when it became clear that local Indigenous groups felt they hadn't been properly consulted.

Opposition to the proposed pipeline erupted after the APA Group was granted an Authority to Survey (ATS) land along the proposed pipeline alignment.

It was a time of high tension for the Coonamble district.

Farmers gather near Coonamble during a period when tensions were running high. PHOTO SUPPLIED.

Local landholders claimed APA's agents had illegally entered properties without notice or permission, breaching biosecurity protocols and frightening farm families.

Community members mobilised to monitor and record their activities and held protests in attempts to prevent further unauthorised entry.

Police became involved as APA alleged vehicle tyres had been slashed, their representatives "followed and filmed" and claimed they were "not allowed to leave" properties, which could amount to deprivation of liberty.

Local residents also objected to an idea by APA Group to offer financial incentives to some landowners to accept easements on their properties which was interpreted as bribery designed to divide the community.

Attempts by APA Group to consult with stakeholders did not go smoothly.

A mass community walk-out on a meeting with gas industry representatives and a late withdrawal by APA Group at a planned community meeting in December were followed by delegations to government and protest gatherings that spread the length of the pipeline.

A meeting of 400 people which went ahead in Coonamble on 6 December 2017 despite APA group staff abandoning the planned meeting at the last minute, saw community members vow that they would “vehemently oppose” Santos’ Pilliga project and block the pipeline “at any cost”.

The community votes at a meeting in Coonamble.

Five years later - almost to the day - the Western Slopes Pipeline has been abandoned in favour of the revived Hunter Valley Pipeline project.

"It demonstrates the power of a community and what we can achieve when we come together," said Coonamble farmer and Great Artesian Basin Protection Group member Adam Macrae.

"In those days when they came to do the surveys we sent the strongest message possible that the pipeline was not welcome.

"It's great news for those of us this side of the Pilliga but while ever there's gas underneath us we can't rest easy.

"Let's hope the energy market catches up with the Narrabri Gas Project and it becomes the white elephant we always said it would be."

Individual landowners are being officially advised of APA's decision to withdraw the project for the Planning Assessment Process.

"Given that APA has elected not to proceed with this project, option deeds should be considered terminated with immediate effect," the letter says.

Any caveats on land that are already in place will also be removed and the action confirmed to landowners.

“When you’ve been fighting for a decade or more it’s nice to have a victory,” said local businessman, farmer and Great Artesian Basin Protection Group member David Chadwick.

“When you have verified 98% opposition it’s not up to big business and government to dictate to communities.

“The underlying issue still remains with the risk of contamination of our only secure water supply - the Great Artesian Basin.

“But it shows what can happen when town, Aboriginal and farming communities work together as one for a common goal.”

The Western Slopes Pipeline project had been designated as State Significant and the NSW Government's major projects online planning portal continues to show the project as progressing through the approvals process.

"We're still waiting for government confirmation," Mrs Mills said. "It's very unusual for us, the humble stakeholders with the most to lose, to actually be given the news first!"