The Cooper GBA region is one of the most prospective sedimentary basins in Australia for development of unconventional gas resources (i.e. gas produced from shales, deep coals or tight sandstones) (Holland et al., 2020). Development of this resource involves a range of activities including drilling, hydraulic fracturing, construction of roads, well pads, pipelines and processing facilities, extraction of water, and establishment of facilities to manage waste and wastewater.
Findings from this assessment provide governments, industry and the broader community with information to support regulatory, water management and planning decisions. These findings support site-specific or project-scale assessments by providing information on where certain matters need more attention. However, the assessment does not replace any state or federal requirements to undertake environmental impact assessments in support of specific development applications or project referrals.
