SA High Pressure Gas Pipeline through property

Hey guys

Had little luck finding information online so hope someone can help.
We are looking at buying a 3.5 acre property with house.
On our second inspection we discover a gas pipeline sign on the back fence. On further investigation we found there is a “Epic Energy's High Pressure Gas Pipeline” running through the back of the property, 20 metres behind the house. It runs on a angle from right side fence up and out past the back fence, through the middle.
I understand you can’t build on top of the line or plant trees.
We want to dived the back into paddocks for animals.
My questions are:
Can you build a fence over the pipe line?
Does the line deprecate the value of the property?

Current owners bought the property and within 12 months the pipe was put through the property.
Real estate agent said they’ll be happy to sell for the price they purchased it for 4 years ago. “Get there money back”

Just interested in people’s thoughts on buying a property with a gas line through it.

Thanks

 

Just to ad:
From what we could see the current owners wanted to build a small vineyard at the back (we are in wine country) . There is a big pile of soil, posts and big water tanked installed, but hasn't been connected. We guessed they put a halt to it all once the pipeline was placed in and now don't want the property.

Sticking point is the price. They want the same price for what they paid for 4 years ago. Our point is real estate prices have drop 5% in the region and the pipeline would have reduced the price further.
Thanks

 

Sounds like you've answered your own question. If prices have dropped 5% and the pipeline devalues the land further, you have a reasonable range to counter their expected price. You're in a buyers market - consider what you think is reasonable.

 

The current owner would have been paid some compensation for the pipeline which goes through the property. They won't tell you how much they received so you have to assess how much the pipeline adds/subtracts from the land and what the land would be worth without the easement.

 

There will be an easement attached to the title.

If you're serious about the property, use the Property Location Browser to find the property, which should show you the easement on the map (the pipeline should also show up if you turn on the gas pipes layer) and will give you a link to the associated records in the LTO registry (called SAILIS Link) from where you can order copies of all the title documents associated with it.

The SAILIS records and documents should show when the easement was created, how much compensation was paid to the owners for it and what the conditions of it are - the easement may have already existed before the current owners purchased it without doing their due diligence.