Now some 13 years later landholders whose properties lie within the proposed route argue the pipeline will only be used to transport gas from the Narrabri gas fields to the Hunter.

And their long held suspicions about the project were confirmed this week with the announcement by Santos, owners of the Narrabri gas project, that the company have purchased Hunter Gas Pipeline Pty Ltd.

In a statement to landholders Santos said it has committed that 100 per cent of the gas from its approved Narrabri Gas Project will go to the domestic NSW market. At a time when the ACCC is forecasting domestic gas shortfalls, the Narrabri project will inject new supply into southern domestic markets and put downward pressure on gas prices for NSW businesses, manufacturers and families.

"To get this gas to the domestic market, Santos has acquired the Hunter Gas Pipeline Pty Ltd. The underground pipeline route passes close to the Narrabri Gas Project and Santos' goal is to work with infrastructure developers and owners to construct the pipeline and deliver much-needed gas to east coast domestic markets in the shortest timeframe possible," they said.

Santos said the exact location of the pipeline and the permanent 30-metre easement will continue to be refined and informed by constructability issues, landholder feedback and preferences, and environmental considerations identified in the upcoming survey work.

The pipeline's construction is expected to start in early 2024 once the route is finalised and all secondary approvals are completed.

At the same time as work is underway with the pipeline the renewal of PEL licences on the Liverpool Plains has also angered farmers in that region who fear the connection between the pipeline and these licences being renewed suggests the two are connected.

Quirindi farmer Peter Wills, who has a property likely to be impacted by the pipeline said, "Santos needs to drastically reconsider its expectations if it thinks it can build a high pressure gas pipeline through the Liverpool Plains while it is already trying to explore for coal seam gas here.

"Santos has made it ten times harder for itself by already announcing its intentions to once again explore for gas in the Liverpool Plains, more than a decade after this community rejected its last advances and drove Santos out of town."

"This also proves Santos' intent to rip apart the Liverpool Plains with hundreds of new gaswells, with the company recently announcing plans to conduct seismic testing in the world-renowned foodbowl" said Mullaley Gas and Pipeline Accord spokesperson and beef farmer Margaret Fleck.

In the Hunter the pipeline would need to consider the route in regards to the Section 10 claim currently awaiting a decision from the Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek.

The claim made under the ATSIHP Act by the Plains Clan of the Wonnarua People covers an area around Ravensworth. The current proposed pipeline route may impact that area should it gain protection.

Lock the Gate has also made a request of the Federal Environment Minister to reconsider its decision of December 23, 2008 that the Queensland Hunter Gas Pipeline (2008/4620) is not a controlled action under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act).

In a letter to the Minister is February this year they state "We request that you revoke the decision that the project is not a controlled action and substitute it with a decision that it is a controlled action for threatened species and communities."

"We have compiled substantial new factual information that was not available at the time of the original decision in 2009 about the impact of the project on nationally threatened species. This information is derived from official NSW Government data sources. The substantial new information shows, to a high degree of certainty, that the project will or is likely to have a significant impact on numerous threatened species."