3.1.3 Product overview

This product presents the impact and risk analysis for the Galilee subregion and is a key output of this BA. The structure is as follows:

Section 3.1 describes the scope of the BA for the Galilee subregion and summarises the critical philosophical and operational choices.
Section 3.2 describes the methods for assessing impacts and risks in the Galilee subregion. It includes details of the databases, tools and geoprocessing that support the impact and risk analysis, and the approach to aggregating potential impacts to landscape classes and assets. The approach is consistent with that outlined in companion submethodology M10 (as listed in Table 1) for analysing impacts and risks (Henderson et al., 2018), and is in addition to the methods for receptor impact modelling reported in companion product 2.7 for the Galilee subregion (Ickowicz et al., 2018).
Section 3.3 provides a more detailed examination of the spatial extent of hydrological changes within the zone of potential hydrological change, using groundwater drawdown and a subset of the hydrological response variables defined in submethodology M06 (as listed in Table 1) for surface water modelling (Viney, 2016). The surface water hydrological response variables used include changes in low flows, high flows and annual flow due to additional coal resource development. Changes in other hydrological response variables are able to be viewed online (www.bioregionalassessments.gov.au/explorer/GAL/hydrologicalchanges). While not quantitatively modelled, the potential for additional coal resource development to impact groundwater and surface water quality is also reported in this section.
Section 3.4 considers the impacts on and risks to landscape classes in the zone of potential hydrological change due to additional coal resource development. An aggregated, system-level analysis of potential impacts is possible at the scale of the subregion’s landscape classes. A ‘rule-out’ process using geographic information system (GIS) processing and analysis tools identified the potentially impacted landscape classes. The impacts on and risks to selected landscape classes were assessed either quantitatively using receptor impact models, or qualitatively using qualitative mathematical models (companion product 2.7 (Ickowicz et al., 2018)). Further details on potential hydrological and ecological impacts on individual landscape classes can be accessed online (see www.bioregionalassessments.gov.au/explorer/GAL/landscapes).
Section 3.5 considers the impacts on and risks to water-dependent assets (Sparrow et al., 2015) in the zone of potential hydrological change due to additional coal resource development. It includes ecological, economic and sociocultural assets. The analysis focuses predominantly on the asset groups previously defined for the Galilee subregion, such as endangered regional ecosystems and threatened ecological communities, although potential impacts to the habitat of some threatened species is also assessed. Additionally, profiles of potential impacts for all of the individual assets are available online (see www.bioregionalassessments.gov.au/explorer/GAL/assets).
Section 3.6 assesses the potential hydrological changes and impacts due to additional coal resource developments that were not modelled. In the Galilee subregion, the non-modelled coal mine projects include those proposed at Alpha West, Blackall, Clyde Park, Hughenden, Pentland, Milray and West Pentland. The non-modelled CSG developments in the Galilee subregion CRDP are the Glenaras Gas Project, the Gunn Project, and Blue Energy’s Exploration Permit for Petroleum (EPP) 813.
Section 3.7 concludes with key findings and knowledge gaps, including how to validate and build on this assessment in the future.

Companion product 2.7 for the Galilee subregion (Ickowicz et al., 2018) presents the overarching methodology and development of the qualitative mathematical models and receptor impact models used as the basis for the predictions of potential impacts to ecosystems that are reported in Section 3.4. The supplementary content provided in companion product 2.7, which essentially serves as an appendix to the section on impacts to landscape classes presented here (Section 3.4), should be read in conjunction with this product.

Last updated:

6 December 2018

Product Finalisation date

Numbered headings

ASSESSMENT

PRODUCT DATA