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  3. Bioregional Assessment Program
  4. Methods
  5. Assessment components
  6. Component 2: Model-data analysis
  7. 2.3 Conceptual modelling

2.3 Conceptual modelling

These products describe conceptual models for the bioregion or subregion. Conceptual models are simplified representations of complex systems.

These products:

  • summarise key system components, processes and interactions for the geology, hydrogeology and surface water of the region
  • describe the region’s ecosystems using a landscape classification
  • characterise two potential futures based on understanding of potential coal resource development at a particular point in time:
    • baseline coal resource development (baseline): a future that includes all coal mines and coal seam gas (CSG) fields that are commercially producing as of December 2012 
    • coal resource development pathway (CRDP): a future that includes all coal mines and CSG fields that are in the baseline as well as those that were expected to begin commercial production after December 2012.
      • The difference in results between these potential futures is due to the additional coal resource development – all coal mines and CSG fields, including expansions of baseline operations, that were expected to begin commercial production after December 2012.
  • identify hazards, defined as events, or chains of events, that might result in an effect (change in the quality and/or quantity of surface water or groundwater)
  • present causal pathways, the physical chains of events ‒ either planned or unplanned ‒ that link coal resource development and potential impacts on water resources and water-dependent assets.

Relationship to other products

The conceptual model and the causal pathways described in these products are used in surface water numerical modelling (product 2.6.1) and groundwater numerical modelling (product 2.6.2) and guide how the impact and risk analysis (product 3-4) is framed. The impact and risk analysis (product 3-4) describes how modelled changes in surface water and groundwater may affect landscape classes and assets.

Published products

Assessments