Regional Water and Land Resources Program

The Regional Water and Land Resources program produces the knowledge, data sets and tools to support the role of mine and coal seam gas projects in sustainable management of water and land resources at site to regional scales. The three main areas of activity are: 1) Mine site hydrology and landscapes: site water balances; cover design and assessment; spoil heap and tailings hydrology; 2) Regional planning tools: regional hydrological models and monitoring systems; applications of remote sensing; uncertainty and risk analysis; land use planning GIS tools; 3) Water and society: water accounting and reporting; and hydro-economic analysis.

There is increasing focus on water stewardship frameworks by the mining sector, as well as ever-increasing scrutiny of mine planning decisions, which requires tools and guidelines for objective analysis and reporting of water risks and opportunities. There is increasing regulatory requirement for accurate water balance predictions on mine sites (e.g. tailings and mine pit evaporation) and seepage risks over the mine life cycle, requiring appropriate monitoring and modelling technology. Guidance on best current practice and technological innovations are needed to manage these risks. In face of globally increasing pressures on water resources, the mining industry is investing $Billions in new water supplies and water efficiency measures (most prominently in arid regions such as Chile), and there is a need to understand risks and opportunities arising from these investments.