Cameby Downs Continued Operations Project EnvironmentalEnvironmental Values Assessment Assessment APPENDIX C Groundwater Assessment Report on Cameby Downs Continued Operations Project Groundwater Impact Assessment Prepared for Syntech Resources Pty Ltd Project No. G1831 September 2018 www.ageconsultants.com.au ABN 64 080 238 642 Document details and history Document details Project number G1831 Document title Cameby Downs Continued Operations Project – Groundwater Impact Assessment Site address Cameby Downs Mine, Warrego Highway, Miles File name G1831_001_Cameby Downs GIA_v05.03a.docx Document status and review Authorised Edition Comments Author Date by v05.03a Final report with minor updates addressing DES comments DWI/AMD/JB JST 07/09/2018 This document is and remains the property of AGE, and may only be used for the purpose for which it was commissioned and in accordance with the Terms of Engagement for the commission. Unauthorised use of this document in any form whatsoever is prohibited. Australasian Groundwater and Environmental Consultants Pty Ltd AGE Head Office AGE Newcastle Office AGE Townsville Office Level 2 / 15 Mallon Street, 4 Hudson Street Unit 3, Building A, 10 Cummins Street Bowen Hills, QLD 4006, Australia Hamilton, NSW 2303, Australia Hyde Park, QLD 4812, Australia T. +61 7 3257 2055 T. +61 2 4962 2091 T. +61 7 4413 2020 F. +61 7 3257 2088 F. +61 2 4962 2096 F. +61 7 3257 2088 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Table of contents Page No. 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Project description ......................................................................................................................................... 3 1.1.1 Approved Cameby Downs Mine ......................................................................................................................... 3 1.1.2 Proposed project ....................................................................................................................................................... 3 1.2 Background to assessment .......................................................................................................................... 6 1.3 Scope of assessment ....................................................................................................................................... 6 2 Regulatory framework..................................................................................................................................................... 8 2.1 Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 ............... 8 2.2 Queensland regulatory framework ......................................................................................................... 8 2.2.1 Environmental Protection (Water) Policy 2009 ....................................................................................... 9 2.2.2 Water Plan (Great Artesian Basin and Other Regional Aquifers) 2017 ......................................... 9 2.2.3 Declared Sub-Artesian areas ........................................................................................................................... 11 2.2.4 Water Resource (Condamine and Balonne) Plan 2004 ....................................................................... 11 2.3 Groundwater licensing for the project ................................................................................................ 11 3 Environmental setting .................................................................................................................................................. 12 3.1 Terrain and drainage .................................................................................................................................. 12 3.2 Land use ........................................................................................................................................................... 12 3.3 Climate .............................................................................................................................................................. 14 4 Groundwater monitoring network .......................................................................................................................... 16 5 Geological setting ............................................................................................................................................................ 20 5.1 Regional geology........................................................................................................................................... 20 5.2 Geology of the Project area ...................................................................................................................... 23 5.2.1 Walloon Coal Measures ...................................................................................................................................... 23 5.2.2 Springbok Sandstone ........................................................................................................................................... 26 5.2.3 Tertiary sediments ................................................................................................................................................ 26 5.2.4 Quaternary sediments ......................................................................................................................................... 26 5.3 Structural geology ........................................................................................................................................ 26 6 Hydrogeology ................................................................................................................................................................... 27 6.1 Quaternary sediments ................................................................................................................................ 27 6.2 Tertiary sediments ...................................................................................................................................... 28 6.3 Springbok Sandstone .................................................................................................................................. 28 6.4 Walloon Coal Measures ............................................................................................................................. 30 6.5 Hydraulic parameters ................................................................................................................................ 30 6.6 Existing data and monitoring .................................................................................................................. 31 6.7 Groundwater quality................................................................................................................................... 34 6.7.1 Geochemistry ........................................................................................................................................................... 35 6.8 Groundwater recharge, distribution and flow ................................................................................. 36 6.9 Groundwater use .......................................................................................................................................... 36 6.9.1 Approved Cameby Downs Mine ...................................................................................................................... 36 Australasian Groundwater and Environmental Consultants Pty Ltd Cameby Downs Continued Operations Project – Groundwater Impact Assessment (G1831) | i Table of contents (continued) Page No. 6.9.2 Coal seam gas .......................................................................................................................................................... 37 6.9.3 Registered groundwater users ........................................................................................................................ 37 6.10 Groundwater dependent ecosystems .................................................................................................. 39 7 Conceptual groundwater model ............................................................................................................................... 42 8 Environmental value of groundwater .................................................................................................................... 44 8.1 Aquatic ecosystem ....................................................................................................................................... 44 8.2 Aquaculture and aquatic foods for human consumption ............................................................ 44 8.3 Agricultural purposes ................................................................................................................................. 45 8.4 Recreation ....................................................................................................................................................... 46 8.5 Drinking water .............................................................................................................................................. 46 8.6 Industrial purposes ....................................................................................................................................