2.6.2.5.1 Spatial extent

For the groundwater modelling, a ‘mine footprint’ represents the area of mining only. That is, the footprint involves only the open-pit or longwall panels, and does not include site facilities or other changes at the surface. Thus, the mine footprints for groundwater modelling are not always the same as those used in the surface water modelling, which include all areas where surface water drainage is disrupted, such as from site facilities, water storages, drainage diversions, spoil heaps and roads (see companion product 2.1-2.2 (Aryal et al., 2018a), companion product 2.3 (Herr et al., 2018) and companion product 2.6.1 (Aryal et al., 2018b) for the Namoi subregion). Similarly, the spatial extent of the CSG development is the location of the extraction wells but does not include the site works and pipelines.

Mine workings, whether they are open-cut or longwall, are represented by georeferenced polygons, which locate the ‘mine’ cells within the plan model grid. As stated in Section 2.6.2.3.3.2, the plan mesh conforms, where possible, to the mine polygons.

Mine footprints were obtained from a number of sources, including existing digital data from some mining companies and the NSW Department of Trade and Investment, and footprints digitised specifically for the project from Landsat TM images of open-cut mines or from maps published in mine environmental impact statements (EISs). Details of the source data can be found in Section 2.1.6 of companion product 2.1-2.2 for the Namoi subregion (Aryal et al., 2018a).

In all, 12 mine footprint polygons and 1 CSG development footprint were used to define the coal resource development areas for the coal resource development pathway (CRDP) in the Namoi subregion for groundwater modelling. The full extent of mining footprints is shown in Figure 33 in Section 2.3.4 of companion product 2.3 for the Namoi subregion (Herr et al., 2018).

Last updated:
6 December 2018
Thumbnail of the Namoi subregion

Product Finalisation date

2018
PRODUCT CONTENTS

ASSESSMENT