Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Community structure and resilience are important to the ability of com-
munities to cope with the sudden change unleashed by rapid CSG devel-
opment. Researchers have identified five dimensions particularly important
for community group resilience: strategic thinking, links within com-
munities, effective use of resources, commitment, and building meaningful
relationships.
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These dimensions, and the qualities underpinning them,
also contribute to resilience of the wider community. A diversity of groups,
groups acting as bridging organisations and groups involved at different
scales, all provide resilience to the wider system.
The Queensland government requires a social impact management plan
for new developments,
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and the notion of community and its complex so-
cial dynamics should be more carefully considered in social impact assess-
ment.
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CSG developers are being asked to accept an increasing set of
responsibilities for community health, safety and social well-being. There is
some evidence that operators are rising to the challenge: Santos, for ex-
ample, has announced good progress in new housing construction in
southern Queensland.
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3.2.7 Toward a National Regulatory Framework. Regulation of CSG devel-
opment and operations remains a work in progress.
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As is typical in
Australia, where regulation is mostly a state responsibility, regulation of
CSG development and operations proceeded initially without interstate
coordination, and early efforts were addressed more to process than sub-
stance. Ironically, overlapping and repetitious regulatory processes allowed
Queensland CSG operators to claim that they were the most thoroughly
regulated on earth, while substantive provisions were, on balance, rather
accommodative.
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Yet regulatory stances have become stronger in recent
years - examples include Queensland's recent commitment to require
assessment of the cumulative impacts of multiple projects on surface and
groundwater, and New South Wales' recent adoption of a two kilometre
set-back from residential areas and industrial clusters - as it has become
increasingly obvious that land-holder and community opposition to CSG is
not a passing fad.
The Commonwealth has stepped in, not as a regulator, but as a convenor of
governments to offer a National Harmonised Regulatory Framework for Natural
Gas from Coal Seams to serve as guidance regarding best regulatory practice for
governments, industry and communities.
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It details approaches agreed
between the Australian state and federal Ministers responsible for resources,
to provide guidance on leading practices for CSG operations, based on state
and federal policies, legislation and regulations. Particular attention is paid to
well integrity, water management and monitoring, fracking and management
of chemicals. The time horizons disconnect between the long-term impacts on
the environment broadly defined and the relatively short-term flow of
revenues from CSG comes into full focus when addressing decommissioning
and well abandonment. The National Harmonised Framework, if adopted by
the states and territories (and the usual outcome of this kind of effort in
