The agriculture minister, Barnaby Joyce, is yet to sell a property near Narrabri in New South Wales over which Santos holds coal seam gas exploration leases, but says the company has told him it intends to drill on the farm next door and not on his place.
Joyce bought his first property at Gwabegar in 2006 for $230,000 and added an adjoining parcel of land in 2008 for $342,000.
As Santos stepped up coal seam gas exploration he conceded the holdings raised conflict of interest concerns and last August he put the properties on the market.
But in his latest statement of pecuniary interests, the member for New England reveals he still holds the properties and adds a footnote “if exploration for gas proceeds on our place Yarranbindi it is on neighbouring PEL [petroleum exploration lease]”.
Joyce told Guardian Australia: “There is an exploration lease over my place, but Santos has told me they are not exploring for gas on my place and are not intending to – they are on the place next door.”
He said it was still for sale, “but I’m not going to give it away”, adding: “Would you like to buy it?”
Eastern Star has explored for gas in the Pilliga forest, in which Gwabegar sits, since 2001.
Former Nationals leader John Anderson became chairman of that company in 2007. It was bought by Santos in 2011.
Joyce has always said he had no knowledge of the CSG potential of the area when he bought his land.
Santos got state and federal approval for drilling exploration wells in the Pilliga last year and believes the Pilliga development could supply 25% of NSW’s gas needs.