<div>This report provides an assessment of the viability of Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) as a potential supplementary water supply for the township of Wilcannia in the Upper Darling River Floodplain (UDRF) region of northwest New South Wales, Australia, in addition to existing emergency water supply bores and a proposed replacement weir across the Darling River. The Baaka is the traditional name for the Darling River by the Barkindji people. </div><div>This study was completed during the UDRF Project, as part of the Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program—an eight-year, $225 million Australian Government funded geoscience data and information acquisition program focused on better understanding the potential of mineral, energy and groundwater resources across Australia. </div><div>The UDRF region's heavy reliance on surface water results in inadequate water security during drought, affecting economic prospects, community welfare, and the environment. Geoscience Australia, in partnership with the New South Wales Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), has undertaken the UDRF Project with the aim of improving groundwater system understanding, assessing groundwater-surface water connectivity, and investigating potential MAR options to enhance drought resilience. </div><div>A MAR scheme is a sustainable proposition in the area compared to groundwater extraction without replenishment, as the semi-confined aquifer doesn’t necessarily represent a viable water resource due to natural recharge of this aquifer taking hundreds of years. As part of the UDRF project, analyses of the hydrodynamic data show that the Darling River is strongly connected to the groundwater systems in the study area, specifically the shallow unconfined aquifers of the Menindee/Coonambidgal Formations and the semi-confined Calivil Formation. The permeable sand-rich unconfined aquifers facilitated groundwater recharge during high river flow periods. Groundwater quality assessments indicate fresh to moderately saline water in the shallower formations, with significantly higher salinity observed in the deeper Renmark Group.</div><div>Four areas potentially suitable for a MAR scheme were identified within the Darling River valley from 2 km to 30 km upstream of Wilcannia, and were delineated through the integrated interpretation of datasets including regional airborne electromagnetics (AEM), ground-based and borehole geophysics, hydrodynamics and hydrochemistry. The four MAR targets were identified based on AEM conductivity threshold of 0.06 S/m, and the borehole water chemistry supports a water quality of &lt;1,200 mg/L TDS (i.e. good to acceptable quality). For a MAR scheme, selecting an area with acceptable quality groundwater is important as the quality of the injected water can remain as acceptable following mixing with the in-situ groundwater. </div><div>Geophysical surveys, including surface magnetic resonance and downhole natural gamma and nuclear magnetic resonance logs, highlight the potential suitability of sand facies within the Calivil Formation as storage aquifer for MAR.&nbsp;Interpretation of AEM models across the four MAR targets suggests that the Calivil Formation aquifer extends beyond the target boundaries and could provide the storage capacity to hold injected water. Additional storage capacity from operating a MAR scheme can only be assessed by a local injection and extraction pilot study.</div><div>In a semi-confined aquifer such as the Calivil Formation, injection of water increases the hydraulic pressure and pushes the acceptable quality in-situ groundwater outwards from the injection sites, displacing the surrounding saline groundwater. The in-situ groundwater of acceptable quality then forms a buffer zone around the injected water, and this improves the recovery efficiency by minimising the flow of saline groundwater towards the extraction well. </div><div>MAR Target 1 is recommended as a potential pilot study area owing to its proximity to Wilcannia and the availability of existing utility infrastructure, such as electricity. Potential sites within the target area were identified for riverbank filtration and Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) wells, considering proximity to the river, groundwater quality, and infrastructure requirements. Proposed ASR sites target the Calivil Formation aquifer, and two of these sites have Paleozoic bedrock directly underlying this storage aquifer. The bedrock acts as an aquitard and minimises the risk of saline groundwater ingress from the Renmark Group, which is present in a palaeovalley adjacent to the two proposed sites.&nbsp;</div><div>If MAR is to be further considered in the region the report offers recommendations for future studies, including the development of pilot ASR sites with drilling to more accurately characterise the sedimentary sequence and the aquifer lithology, and assess the viability of any proposed system.&nbsp;</div>

<div>In Australia, wide-spread sedimentary basin and regolith cover presents a key challenge to explorers, environmental managers and decision-makers, as it obscures underlying rocks of interest. To address this, a national coverage of airborne electromagnetics (AEM) with a 20&nbsp;km line-spacing is being acquired. This survey is acquired as part of the Exploring for the Future program and in collaboration with state and territory geological surveys. This survey presents an opportunity for regional geological interpretations on the modelled AEM data, helping constrain the characteristics of the near-surface geology beneath the abundant cover, to a depth of up to ~500&nbsp;m.</div><div> The AEM conductivity sections were used to delineate key chronostratigraphic boundaries, e.g. the bases of geological eras, and provide a first-pass interpretation of the subsurface geology. The interpretation was conducted with a high level of data integration with boreholes, potential fields geophysics, seismic, surface geology maps and solid geology maps. This approach led to the construction of well-informed geological interpretations and provided a platform for ongoing quality assurance and quality control of the interpretations and supporting datasets. These interpretations are delivered across various platforms in multidimensional non-proprietary open formats, and have been formatted for direct upload to Geoscience Australia’s (GA) Estimates of Geological and Geophysical Surfaces (EGGS) database, the national repository of multidisciplinary subsurface depth estimates.</div><div> These interpretations have resulted in significant advancements in our understanding of Australia’s near-surface geoscience, by revealing valuable information about the thickness and composition of the extensive cover, as well as the composition, structure and distribution of underlying rocks. Current interpretation coverage is ~110,000 line kilometres of AEM conductivity sections, or an area &gt;2,000,000&nbsp;km2, similar to the area of Greenland or Saudi Arabia. This ongoing work has led to the production of almost 600,000 depth estimate points, each attributed with interpretation-specific metadata. Three-dimensional line work and over 300,000 points are currently available for visualisation, integration and download through the GA Portal, or for download through GA’s eCat electronic catalogue. </div><div> These interpretations demonstrate the benefits of acquiring broadly-spaced AEM surveys. Interpretations derived from these surveys are important in supporting regional environmental management, resource exploration, hazard mapping, and stratigraphic unit certainty quantification. Delivered as precompetitive data, these interpretations provide users in academia, government and industry with a multidisciplinary tool for a wide range of investigations, and as a basis for further geoscientific studies.</div> Abstract submitted and presented at 2023 Australian Earth Science Convention (AESC), Perth WA (https://2023.aegc.com.au/)

<div>GeoInsight was an 18-month pilot project developed in the latter part of Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future Program (2016–2024). The aim of this pilot was to develop a new approach to communicating geological information to non-technical audiences, that is, non-geoscience professionals. The pilot was developed using a human-centred design approach in which user needs were forefront considerations. Interviews and testing found that users wanted a simple and fast, plain-language experience which provided basic information and provided pathways for further research. GeoInsight’s vision is to be an accessible experience that curates information and data from across the Geoscience Australia ecosystem, helping users make decisions and refine their research approach, quickly and confidently.</div><div><br></div><div>Geoscience Australia hosts a wealth of geoscientific data, and the quantity of data available in the geosciences is expanding rapidly. This requires newly developed applications such as the GeoInsight pilot to be adaptable and malleable to changes and updates within this data. As such, utilising the existing Oracle databases, web service publication and platform development workflows currently employed within Geoscience Australia (GA) were optimal choices for data delivery for the GeoInsight pilot.&nbsp;This record is intended to give an overview of the how and why of the technical infrastructure of this project. It aims to summarise how the underlying databases were used for both existing and new data, as well as development of web services to supply the data to the pilot application.&nbsp;</div>

<div>GeoInsight was an 18-month pilot project developed in the latter part of Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future Program (2016–2024). The aim of this pilot was to develop a new approach to communicating geological information to non-technical audiences, that is, non-geoscience professionals. The pilot was developed using a human-centred design approach in which user needs were forefront considerations. Interviews and testing found that users wanted a simple and fast, plain-language experience which provided basic information and provided pathways for further research. GeoInsight’s vision is to be an accessible experience that curates information and data from across Geoscience Australia, helping users make decisions and refine their research approach, quickly and confidently.</div><div><br></div><div>In the first iteration of GeoInsight, selected products for energy, minerals, water, and complementary information from Geoscience Australia’s Data Discovery Portal and Data and Publications Catalogue were examined to (1) gauge the relevance of the information they contain for non-geoscientists and, (2) determine how best to deliver this information for effective use by non-technical audiences.</div><div><br></div><div>This Record documents the technical details of the methods used for summarising energy commodities for GeoInsight. These methods were devised to convey current production and future production/extraction potential quickly and efficiently for regions across the Australian continent. Evaluated energy commodities include oil and gas, hydrogen and geological hydrogen storage, uranium and thorium, coal (black and brown), geothermal energy, and renewable energy. Carbon storage, a decarbonisation enabler, was also addressed under the energy theme.</div><div><br></div><div>This document contains two sections:</div><div><strong>Production Summary:</strong> To showcase where energy resources are being produced in different regions of Australia. The source datasets provide a snapshot of energy production activities at the time of publication. </div><div><strong>Potential Summary:</strong> To highlight, at first glance, the likelihood that future energy production and decarbonisation initiatives may occur in different regions of Australia. The source datasets provide a snapshot of future energy potential at the time of publication.</div><div><br></div><div>Any updates to the methodology used in GeoInsight will be accompanied by updates to this document, including a change log.</div><div>Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future program provides precompetitive information to inform decision-making by government, community and industry on the sustainable development of Australia's mineral, energy and groundwater resources. By gathering, analysing and interpreting new and existing precompetitive geoscience data and knowledge, we are building a national picture of Australia’s geology and resource potential. This leads to a strong economy, resilient society and sustainable environment for the benefit of all Australians. This includes supporting Australia’s transition to net zero emissions, strong, sustainable resources and agriculture sectors, and economic opportunities and social benefits for Australia’s regional and remote communities. The Exploring for the Future program, which commenced in 2016, is an eight year, $225m investment by the Australian Government.</div><div><br></div>

<div>GeoInsight aims to communicate geological information to non-geoscience professionals and guide users to datasets with ease via a web-based interface. The 18-month pilot project was developed as part of Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future Program (2016–2024) using a human-centred design approach in which user needs are forefront considerations. Interviews and testing with users found that a simple and plain-language experience that provided packaged information with channels to further research is the preferred design. Curated information and data from across Geoscience Australia help users make decisions and refine their research approach quickly and confidently. </div><div><br></div><div>Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future program provides precompetitive information to inform decision-making by government, community and industry on the sustainable development of Australia's mineral, energy and groundwater resources. By gathering, analysing and interpreting new and existing precompetitive geoscience data and knowledge, we are building a national picture of Australia’s geology and resource potential. This leads to a strong economy, resilient society and sustainable environment for the benefit of all Australians. This includes supporting Australia’s transition to net zero emissions, strong, sustainable resources and agriculture sectors, and economic opportunities and social benefits for Australia’s regional and remote communities. The Exploring for the Future program, which commenced in 2016, is an eight year, $225m investment by the Australian Government. </div><div><br></div><div>In the first iteration of GeoInsight, products were selected for minerals, energy, water and complementary information from Geoscience Australia’s Data Discovery Portal and Data and Publications Catalogue. These products were examined to (1) gauge the relevance of the information they contain for non-geoscientists and (2) determine how best to deliver this information for effective use by non-technical audiences. </div><div><br></div><div>This record documents the methodology used to summarise mineral commodities for GeoInsight. The method was devised to provide a straightforward snapshot of mineral production at the time of publication and future production/extraction potential based on Geoscience Australia datasets extrapolated to the regional scale across Australia. </div><div><br></div><div>The initial developmental stage has been dedicated to producing a workable foundation intended to evolve and incorporate more nuanced content centred on user feedback. Initial stages focused on extraction of data from databases across the widest possible breadth of commodities which could be supported by existing workflows and automation. A recommendation for future development is to incorporate the more nuanced information available from Geoscience Australia into future iterations of the GeoInsight platform. A wide range of information related to mineral potential is delivered by Geoscience Australia, very little of which is captured in the current version of GeoInsight. </div><div><br></div><div>Any updates to the methodology used in GeoInsight will be accompanied by updates to this document, including a change log.</div>

<div>GeoInsight was an 18-month pilot project developed in the latter part of Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future Program (2016-2024). The aim of this pilot was to develop a new approach to communicating geological information to non-technical audiences, that is, non-geoscience professionals. The pilot was developed using a human-centred design approach in which user needs were forefront considerations. Interviews and testing found that potential users wanted a simple and fast, plain-language experience which offered basic information and provided pathways for further research. GeoInsight’s vision is to be an accessible experience that curates information and data from across the Geoscience Australia ecosystem, helping users make decisions and refine their research approach, quickly and confidently.</div><div>In the GeoInsight pilot, selected products for energy, minerals, water, and complementary information from Geoscience Australia’s Data Discovery Portal and Data and Publications Catalogue were examined to (1) gauge the relevance of the information they contain for non-geoscientists and, (2) determine how best to deliver this information for effective use by non-technical audiences.</div><div>This record documents the technical details of the methods of the four sections listed below:</div><div><strong>Indigenous Regions:</strong> This dataset provides a regionalised representation of data relevant to the water, minerals, and energy themes, as well as summary information, which includes, statistics and regional summaries. The Indigenous Regions provide the geographic boundaries from which the GeoInsight pilot was built upon.</div><div><strong>Population Centres:</strong> Summary information showcasing the top three population centres for each region.</div><div><strong>Top Industries:</strong> Summary information showcasing the top three industries ranked by employment for each region.</div><div><strong>Infrastructure: </strong>To show complementary information relating to infrastructure (e.g., roads) and their context to energy, mineral and groundwater resources. Infrastructure is particularly useful in supporting the extraction and transportation of commodities of Australia’s mining and energy industry.</div><div>This record will be updated, including a change log, when the scope of information or methods for generating the data change.</div>