Authors / CoAuthors
Yates, G. | Tan, K.P. | Schoning, G.
Abstract
Development of coal mines and coal seam gas (CSG) resources can have significant impacts on groundwater systems, hydrogeological processes and the surface environment. The Australian Government, via the Office of Water Science, Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities has funded a program to investigate the potential impacts of the development of new coal mines and CSG production in eastern Australia. The Laura Basin was investigated as part of this program because: -Drainage systems discharge to the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef Marine Park; -Almost half of the basin area is National Park; -Over half of the basin is covered by Indigenous Land-Use Agreements; -Most available land is tenemented for coal exploration and a significant black coal resource occurs at Bathurst Range (47 million tonne resource of coking coal); -There are many significant wetlands and threatened species in the region; -There was previously a relatively poor understanding of groundwater characteristics across the basin. These include temporal variations in groundwater balance components, groundwater flow directions, aquifer connectivity, groundwater quality and surface water-groundwater connectivity. A desktop study was undertaken, bringing together diverse data sets, to develop a basin-scale understanding of the hydrogeology of the Laura Basin and undertake a regional-scale water balance components analysis. The potential for geological structures to impact groundwater flow systems and interactions between aquifers or between surface water and groundwater systems was considered. The study also identified water dependent assets and potential pathways for impacts of coal mining to these assets. This project highlights the limitations posed to regional assessments by sparse data and provides recommendations for targeted investigation to improve scientific understanding. Importantly, data coverage is highlighted with reference to its adequacy for providing a baseline against which change due to future land use/ resource development might be assessed. This abstract was developed as part of the National Collaborative Framework Project- Hydrogeological Characterisation of the Laura Basin
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nonGeographicDataset
eCat Id
76711
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Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave and Hindmarsh Dr GPO Box 378
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- External PublicationAbstract
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- geology
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- hydrogeology
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- groundwater
- Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)
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- Geology
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- Published_Internal
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2013-01-01T00:00:00
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This abstract was developed for International Association of Hydrogeologists Congress, Perth, 2013 as part of the National Collaborative Framework Project- Hydrogeological Characterisation of the Laura Basin.
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