Underground water impact report (UWIR) for the Surat CMA

The underground water impact report (UWIR) for the Surat Cumulative Management Area (CMA) assesses the groundwater impacts from resource operations in the Surat and southern Bowen basins. It also establishes:

• strategies to manage the predicted impacts
• responsibilities for implementing various aspects of the strategies.

The assessment is completed every 3 years in order to keep up to date with changes to industry development plans and new information about the groundwater flow system.

The Office of Groundwater Impact Assessment (OGIA) prepared the first Surat UWIR in 2012 (UWIR 2012) and the second in 2016 (UWIR 2016). Those reports are now superseded by the UWIR 2019.

On 20 August 2021, an addendum titled ‘Spring Impact Mitigation Plan’ was also submitted to the Department of Environment and Science as an amendment to the UWIR 2019.

Evidence-based scientific assessments

OGIA undertakes scientific studies and modelling to assess the groundwater impacts from relevant resource operations. This assessment is based on a range of data including:

• an extensive groundwater monitoring network
• geological mapping
• a comprehensive seismic dataset
• the outcomes of a significant research program to improve understanding of groundwater systems.

Current Surat UWIR

• Full report and appendices: Surat UWIR 2019 (PDF, 38MB)
  • Report only: Surat UWIR 2019 (PDF, 31MB)
  • Appendices only: Surat UWIR 2019 (PDF, 6.7MB)
  • Addendum: Spring Impact Management Plan (PDF, 5.29MB)*

*If you require an accessible version of the addendum, please contact OGIA.

Supplementary information

• Consultation submissions summary (PDF, 1.4MB)
• List of bores requiring baseline assessment (XLSX, 34KB)
• List of current petroleum and gas tenure holders in the Surat CMA (PDF, 454KB)
• List of all monitoring points in the water monitoring strategy (XLSX, 100KB)
• List of springs in the Surat CMA (XLSX, 37KB)

Previous Surat UWIRs

• Surat UWIR 2016 (PDF, 5.9MB)
• Surat UWIR 2012 (PDF, 4.1MB)

Annual reports on the UWIR

The annual reports provide updates on the implementation of the UWIR management strategies.

They also discuss any changes to circumstances that could impact on the predictions made in the UWIR (e.g. changes to development planning by resource tenure holders).

• 2020 annual report on the Surat UWIR 2019 (PDF, 1.1MB)
• 2018 annual report on the Surat UWIR 2016 (PDF, 1.2MB)
• 2017 annual report on the Surat UWIR 2016 (PDF, 1.0MB)
• 2014 annual report on the Surat UWIR 2012 (PDF, 2.3MB)
• 2013 annual report on the Surat UWIR 2012 (PDF, 1.7MB)

Note: No annual report was published in 2015 because the Surat UWIR 2016 provided an update on the implementation of management strategies.

Also consider…

• Conduct a bore search for information about the predicted impacts of water extraction on individual bores.
• Read about cumulative management areas.
• View bore reports for registered bores in Queensland.
• Search for resource authority applications on your land and surrounding area.
• Get involved in groundwater monitoring for resource impacts.
• Access groundwater monitoring data.