Committee view
5.1
Australia's underground water systems are a precious and finite
resource. As the driest inhabited continent, and with climate change expected
to affect future rainfall patterns, Australia needs access to underground water
supplies more than ever, particularly because of the reliance of rural,
regional and remote communities on these resources.
5.2
The Committee acknowledges the substantial economic benefit that
extractive projects may provide to certain sectors of the community and some
regional and rural communities. However, these benefits should not be
prioritised at the expense of other industries or the environment in terms of
long-term impacts on resources and ecosystems which will need decades and
centuries to recover from extractive activities.
5.3
The Committee considers that current regulatory processes do not
sufficiently take into account the intrinsic value of the environment as a
valuable resource in its own right. The loss of groundwater-dependent and
groundwater ecosystems, particularly those that are threatened and endangered
or not yet identified, would be an irrevocable tragedy. Figures estimating
total water use of particular industries do not accurately represent the
long-term impacts of changes to topography, aquifer structures or groundwater quality
that arise from extractive industry activities.
5.4
The Committee commends the Commonwealth, state and territory governments
for improvements made to water management initiatives in the Murray-Darling
Basin and the Great Artesian Basin. However, there remains considerable room
for improvement in terms of fair and equitable water allocation so that
short-term economic gain does not outweigh the long-term water needs of
agricultural users, rural, regional and remote communities and ecosystems. The
needs of one industry should not be prioritised over the needs of other water
users.
5.5
The Committee also considers that there are specific areas for
improvement in the Commonwealth regulatory framework governing water use by
extractive industries. These are outlined below.
Amendments to the EPBC Act
5.6
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government expand the
water trigger in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 (EPBC
Act) to include all forms of unconventional gas activity. The Committee was
told repeatedly by multiple submitters and witnesses that the water trigger
should be expanded to include shale and tight gas. There is no scientific
reason to treat these forms of gas extraction as different from coal seam gas
activity in terms of impacts on water resources, particularly because
unconventional gas extraction involves large amounts of water.
5.7
The Committee was not persuaded by arguments from a small number of
submitters that the Commonwealth requirements imposed on industry for projects
impacting water resources were duplicative of state and territory requirements
or unnecessary. If anything, evidence presented to this inquiry demonstrated
the importance of Commonwealth oversight of activities that have the potential
to affect a resource that is as important to the future of the Australian
economy as water.
Recommendation 1
5.8
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government amend the Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 to include all forms of unconventional
gas under the provisions of the water trigger.
5.9
Further, the Committee considers that the investigatory role of the
Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining
Development (IESC) be extended so that it is able to provide advice on unconventional
gas activities and how these may impact water resources. The Committee commends
the IESC for its detailed and high quality work provided to date to inform
regulatory decisions at both the state and Commonwealth levels.
Recommendation 2
5.10
The Committee recommends that the role of the Independent Expert
Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development be
expanded to provide scientific advice to regulatory decision-makers on the
impacts of unconventional gas activities on Australia's water resources.
Bilateral agreements
5.11
Evidence provided to the inquiry emphasised the importance of ongoing
Commonwealth involvement in regulatory decisions governing water use by the
extractive industry. The Committee heard concerns that proposed bilateral
approval agreements would remove the Commonwealth from regulatory decisions,
and give states the power to make decisions that would take into account both
state matters and matters of national environmental significance. The Committee
does not consider that approval bilateral agreements should proceed, given
evidence suggesting that states may have made regulatory decisions on the basis
of insufficient modelling and research or even, in some instances, in spite of
evidence from experts and government water bodies suggesting projects should
not proceed.
Recommendation 3
5.12
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government does not
commit to any bilateral approval agreements with states and/or territories.
Compliance with current Commonwealth conditions
5.13
The Committee heard from a range of witnesses and submitters outlining
the environmental impacts of extractive activities that, despite regulatory
requirements intended to mitigate their impacts, had negatively impacted other
water users. Further, because of limited baseline data, projects are often
required to provide the Minister for the Environment and Energy with completed
data after the project has been approved. As a result, the Committee was told,
regulatory oversight is shifted from the approvals process to the compliance
process.
5.14
The Committee is concerned that there have been instances where
compliance is poor, and ongoing monitoring and reporting are limited in terms
of certain types of negative impacts, particularly groundwater depressurisation
and water quality. Monitoring compliance is essential given the reliance of
regulatory decision-makers on data that is not provided until a project is
underway.
5.15
The Committee considers that the Commonwealth Government should provide
the Department of the Environment and Energy with funding to undertake
compliance and monitoring activities of projects which it has approved.
Recommendation 4
5.16
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government appropriately
resource the Department of the Environment and Energy to undertake compliance
and monitoring activities of extractive projects which have been approved under
the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999.
5.17
In addition, the Committee sees
no reason why mining companies should withhold up-to-date monitoring data from
communities, particularly in the interests of transparency. These figures
should be released to alleviate community concerns about bore water levels and water
quality, and will do a great deal to ensure community confidence that industry
is complying with approval conditions and licensing requirements. This should
be a requirement in all Commonwealth approvals.
Recommendation 5
5.18
The Committee recommends that the Department of the Environment and
Energy require, as a condition of approvals for all extractive projects
affecting water resources, that proponents publicly release real-time data or,
where this is not available, the most up-to-date monitoring data available on
water levels and water quality.
5.19
The Committee is concerned about evidence regarding surface water and
rainfall take by extractive industry projects, particularly because this may
impact water flows into connected water systems and lead to decreased water
levels in rivers and other bodies of water. The Committee is of the opinion
that the Commonwealth Government should work with states and territories to
ensure that accurate reporting of surface and rainfall take by extractive
industries occurs.
Recommendation 6
5.20
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government work with
state and territory governments through the Meeting of Environment Ministers or
another forum, as appropriate, to ensure that extractive industries are
accurately reporting surface and rainfall water take.
The National Water Account
5.21
The Committee heard that the National Water Account only covers one
groundwater system, despite many regional, rural and remote communities across
Australia relying partly or entirely on underground water. The Committee
proposes that, given the importance of underground water for human and animal
consumption, the National Water Account be expanded and provided with
additional resources to more adequately capture Australia's underground water
resources. The Commonwealth Government could consider, if appropriate, partial
cost-recovery measures from users of water resources.
Recommendation 7
5.22
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government expand the
National Water Account so that it is able to comprehensively incorporate data
on underground water systems.
Baseline modelling
5.23
A number of submitters and witnesses to the inquiry raised the issue of
approvals for the proposed Adani Carmichael coal mine in Queensland. In
particular, the Committee heard that even after a decision was made about the
project, concerns remained among experts that too much uncertainty existed
about the information included on groundwater sources in the project's baseline
modelling for a decision to be made.
5.24
The Committee was told that this instance of uncertainty in baseline
modelling was not isolated but appears to be relatively widespread across
different proposals. This is because it may take years to close the knowledge
gaps used to inform baseline models. Without proponents being required to
outline the extent and nature of the uncertainty in their modelling, the onus
has been placed on regulators to make decisions based on limited and incomplete
models. The Committee recommends that the Department of the Environment and
Energy require proponents to clearly report uncertainty in their model
predictions of potential impacts to groundwater, and the Commonwealth
Government encourage states and territories introduce the same requirement through
the Council of Australian Governments and/or the National Water Initiative.
Further, the Committee is of the view that in the event of high uncertainty in
modelling data combined with significant risks that a project could lead to
negative environmental outcomes, approvals should not be granted until better
modelling provides more certainty.
Recommendation 8
5.25
The Committee recommends that the Department of the Environment and
Energy require proponents of projects addressed under the water trigger to
clearly report on the nature and extent of uncertainty existing in their
baseline modelling on potential impacts. Further, approvals should not be
granted where there is a high risk of negative environmental outcomes and
modelling data provided by proponents fails to provide confidence that these risks
have been appropriately taken into account.
Recommendation 9
5.26
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government, through the
Council of Australian Governments and the National Water Initiative as
appropriate, encourage state and territory governments to require extractive
industry projects to clearly report on the nature and extent of uncertainty
existing in their baseline modelling on potential impacts.
Bioregional assessments
5.27
The Committee commends the Commonwealth Government's decision to extend
the Bioregional Assessment Program to examine the potential environmental
impacts of shale and tight gas projects. The research on cumulative impacts
produced by the Bioregional Assessment Program is used to inform Commonwealth
and state regulatory decisions on whether to approve project proposals or not.
Recommendation 10
5.28
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government prioritise
Bioregional Assessments to ensure that the information they provide can be used
for upcoming proposals for extractive industry projects.
5.29
The Commonwealth Government's Bioregional Assessment Program should be
provided with more resources to maximise its ability to prioritise and complete
the work. This improved resourcing would help to ensure that data is available
for projects that would otherwise be postponed or declined because of
inadequate modelling.
Recommendation 11
5.30
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government provide the
Bioregional Assessment Program with additional resources to equip the program
to improve its data collection and research functions.
Lack of research impacting regulatory decisions
5.31
The Committee considers that it is unacceptable that regulatory
decisions on extractive industry projects are being made in the absence of
research on how extractive activities lead to particular impacts on groundwater
ecosystems and the interactions between surface and subsurface resources. This
lack of research is affecting decision-making, often with irreversible
consequences. The organisms living in groundwater are essential to water
quality, yet because few stygofauna species are listed for protection, and
research on other organisms in groundwater sources in some instances is almost
non-existent, these species are not given the same consideration in regulatory
decisions as those species found in surface ecosystems. The Committee
recommends that as a matter of urgency, the Commonwealth Government identify
current research gaps affecting regulatory decisions on the impacts of
extractive projects on water resources, and fund research into these areas as
appropriate.
Recommendation 12
5.32
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government identify
current research gaps affecting regulatory decisions on the impacts of
extractive projects on underground water ecosystems, and provide funding for
further research into this areas as appropriate.
5.33
Further, the Committee considers that proponents be required to report
more stringently on stygofauna and microbial communities living in underground
water systems and potential impacts on these organisms in their applications
for regulatory approvals. Such organisms are often essential to water quality
and flow, but in some cases have not been given the same level of importance as
that afforded to groundwater-dependent ecosystems.
Recommendation 13
5.34
The Committee recommends that the Department of the Environment and
Energy ensure reporting requirements for proposed projects requiring approval
under the water trigger include information on the potential impacts to the
organisms living in groundwater ecosystems.
The National Water Initiative
5.35
This inquiry heard that considerable gaps and omissions remain in the
current National Water Initiative (NWI) intergovernmental agreement. These
include the inability of the NWI to appropriately take into account the
extractive industry and the cumulative impacts of extractive projects. This is
particularly relevant for water resources spread across different
jurisdictions, such as the Great Artesian Basin and the Murray-Darling Basin.
5.36
The Committee notes the concerns of a number of submitters and witnesses
about regulatory gaps in their respective state and territory frameworks
governing water use, and recommends that the Commonwealth Government, through
the Council of Australian Governments and the NWI, encourage jurisdictions to
adopt consistent approaches that promote fair, equitable and sustainable water
use allocations.
Recommendation 14
5.37
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government, through the
Council of Australian Governments and the National Water Initiative, encourage
states and territories to adopt consistent regulatory approaches that promote
the fair, equitable and sustainable allocation of water resources.
5.38
The Committee welcomes the Productivity Commission's report into
National Water Reform recommending that the NWI be renewed by 2020. In
particular, the Committee endorses the report's recommendation that this renewed
NWI ensure that extractive industries are included in water entitlement
frameworks.
Recommendation 15
5.39
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government accept
the Productivity Commission's recommendation in its National Water Reform
report that the National Water Initiative be renewed by 2020.
Recommendation 16
5.40
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government accept the
Productivity Commission's recommendation in its National Water Reform report
that state and territory water entitlement and planning frameworks explicitly
incorporate extractive industries.
5.41
This inquiry heard that some Traditional Owners feel excluded from
decision-making processes on water resources that have ecological or cultural
value for Indigenous groups. The Committee endorses the Productivity
Commission's recommendation that all governments incorporate Indigenous
cultural objectives in their water plans, and that the relevant provisions of
the revised NWI be informed by an Indigenous working group.
5.42
Even with these recommendations, the Committee considers that more work
needs to be undertaken to ensure that Aboriginal water entitlements and rights
are taken into account in regulatory decisions in appropriate and culturally
sensitive ways. The Committee considers that one method of achieving this would
be the creation of Indigenous Councils to advise regulatory decision makers in
the various states and territories. The Committee encourages the Commonwealth
Government to work with state and territory governments to see this happen.
Recommendation 17
5.43
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government accept the
Productivity Commission's recommendation in its National Water Reform report
that all governments undertake further work to incorporate clear, measurable
and well-informed Indigenous cultural objectives in water plans, with tangible
actions, monitoring and reporting arrangements to ensure that these objectives
are implemented effectively.
Recommendation 18
5.44
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government accept the
Productivity Commission's recommendation in its National Water Reform report
that an Indigenous working group be established to provide advice on the
development of provisions related to the incorporation of Indigenous cultural
objectives for the renewed National Water Initiative.
5.45
The Committee further recommends that the revised NWI address the issues
of inconsistent terminology across jurisdictions and the cumulative impacts of
extractive industry projects on water, particularly as these relate to water
resources crossing different jurisdictions.
Recommendation 19
5.46
The Committee recommends that the renewed National Water Initiative
include measures to encourage harmonisation of terminology used in regulatory
frameworks governing water use across the various jurisdictions.
Recommendation 20
5.47
The Committee recommends that the renewed National Water Initiative
include measures to take into account the cumulative impacts of extractive
industry activities on water resources.
Abandoned mines
5.48
This inquiry received concerning evidence outlining the legacy impacts
of abandoned mines on water resources, including, for example, bright blue
water in Queensland because of acid mine drainage. The Committee heard that
regulatory gaps in the monitoring of abandoned mines mean that the extent of
impacts on water resources from abandoned mines is unclear. The Committee will
consider this issue in greater detail in its inquiry into mining
rehabilitation.
Senator Janet Rice
Chair
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