7th Annual Mining the Pilbara 16th-17th July 2013

Introducing the latest Western Australia

Water in Mining Guidelines and strategic

meeting the Pilbara’s civic and industrial

water needs

Dr Hamid Mohsenzadeh

Regional Manager, Pilbara Region

Department of Water

Department of Water

Purpose

We support Western Australia's growth and

development by managing the availability and

quality of water sustainably – now and for the

future.

Strategic Plan Goals

1. Water needs for population and economic growth

are met,

2. WA has contemporary and adaptive water

management,

3. WA exceeds national standards in water efficiency

and demand management.

GOAL - 1

Water need for population and economic

growth are met now and for the future • Analyse immediate and long term demand for water to meet economic,

community and environmental need

• Determine resource availability using the latest scientific knowledge

• Recommend options to meet current and projected shortfalls in water

including demand management

• Work with industry partners and other government agencies be effectively

integrated water planning with land use planning

GOAL - 2

• Western Australia has contemporary and

adaptive water management • Implement a transparent approach to recognizing, measuring and assessing

the environmental, economic and cultural value of water in policy and

development planning and water allocation

• Strengthen the protection of water in identified areas for long-term

environmental and community benefits

• Provide the policy setting to support greater private sector competition and

innovation in water service provision

GOAL - 3

• Western Australia exceeds national

standards in water efficiency and demand

management • Use science, innovation and policy leadership to enable new source of

drinking and non-drinking water

• Promote recycles water for non-drinking water use

• facilitate the efficient use of water

• Partner with industry, government and the community to create vibrant

water-efficient communities

• State Government initiative – Pilbara Cities

• Mining Industry accelerating output

• New public and private infrastructure

• Public demands for more livable towns

• Aboriginal connections to Country

• High value environmental assets

Drivers for current work - Pilbara

Total licensed water by sector

• The right to take and use the State’s water resources must be in

accordance with the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914 (RiWI

Act).

• A licence is required to take water in a proclaimed area, and all

artesian resources.

• Licences granted under the RiWI Act are the key regulatory tool in

controlling and managing the water resources.

• Water licences contain terms and conditions relating to:

Licence tenure

How much water can be taken

Monitoring and reporting requirements

DoW Regulatory Role

DoW Roles

Initially DoW is advisor to company

Once proposal submitted then DoW is special advisor

(as a Decision Making Authority) to EPA and DMP pre-

approval

Once project is approved DoW becomes regulator

under our RiWI Act if a water licence is required

Key tools are the water licence and Operating Strategy

Defining and clarifying

regulatory processes

Instruments under the Rights in

Water and Irrigation Act 1914,

specifically:

• section 26D licences to construct

and alter a well

• section 5C licences to take water

and manage its use

• section 11/17/21A permits to

interfere with bed and banks

(bed and banks permit)

DoW is listening

Resources industry has

consistently told Government that

the sector wants:

Increased clarity and certainty

for investment decisions

Focus on removing duplication

and increasing efficiency and

productivity

Integrated electronic lodgement

and licence tracking system

Guidance on cumulative impact

Pilbara water in mining guideline (2009)

Western Australian water in mining guideline (2013)

• Provide clarity for industry on approvals processes

• Developed in collaboration with industry stakeholders

Guideline objectives

• Provide clear guidance on the DoW’s Rights in Water and

Irrigation Act 1914 approval process.

• Develop a consultative and cooperative relationship

between regulator and proponents.

• Facilitate early identification of water management issues.

• Clearly define water management objectives - early on!

• Clearly outline assessment information requirements.

• Facilitate an adaptive management framework that meets

water management and regulatory requirements.

• Emphasise the life-of-mine approach to water management

• Focus is mostly on groundwater licence applications

Provides clarity and guidance on issues related to a six-

stage process:

A Preliminary consultation

B Scoping the water management task

C Water Licence application and EPA assessment

D Licence assessment

E Construction and operation

F Decommissioning and closure

DoW Western Australian water in mining

guideline- what it does

Pre-feasibility Stage A & B

Getting together EARLY and

defining project and regulatory

requirements – is driver for all.

Outline of development concept

Establish working relationships

Define regulatory requirements

Confirm the scope of studies and

agree information output

Sets out a flexible process,

whereby DoW and proponents

work together to define key issues

and information required.

Stage C Proposal - Licence

Proponent conducts and

submits agreed studies.

Aligns with EPA assessment

process (DoW water component).

Development of a Water

Management Plan for agencies.

Submission of the 5C water

licence application under the RIWI

Act 1914.

Stage D Water Licence

Assessment

Proponent submits operating

strategy (Op policy 5.08) and

operational water balance based

on the water management plan.

How you will manage water over

the life of the project?

DoW finalises assessment of 5C

application and determines licence

conditions and approves operating

strategy.

Stage E Construction and

mine operation

The taking, use and

management of water as per

operating strategy and licence

conditions.

Regular reporting to the DoW

Adaptive management –

proponent uses results of their

evaluation to modify their water

management and monitoring.

Stage F Mine closure and

decommissioning

• Proponent manages long-term

impacts beyond the life of the

mine.

• Decommissioning and closure

plans form part of the scoping

phase documents and operating

strategy.

• DoW concerns include the

containment of tailings, correct

decommissioning of bores and

closure of water storage facilities.

Reducing regulatory burden in

support of the mining sector

Reducing Regulatory Burden

• Risk based assessments for focus on high risk and

priority areas

• Abolished regulation in 2012 requiring licensing of

monitoring bores (900 per year)

• Review and simplify conditions (50% abolished)

• Third party access to mine dewater (Mining & RiWI)

• MOU between DoW and DMP to reduce duplication

Water Information and Data Library

• DoW has funding to upgrade its IT systems (Platform)

and its licencing systems will be upgraded into a national

system (CRS). Unfortunately both systems are 18

months away from use by licensees.

• All water information is and will be immediately available

to the industry for free either through the internet or DoW

• 2008-2010 DoW captured information on 4500 bores

• RfR funding capture of 100,000 hydro reports over 3 yrs

www.water.wa.gov.au

• Existing mines extending below water table

• Switch from water deficit to water excess

• New mines

• New commodities

• New infrastructure

Changes in the mining sector

• Rapidly increasing demand for water in coastal centres

• Regional ore tonnage moving to 1,000,000 million tonnes per

year

• New ports and rail lines - currently six new ports and port

expansions

• Entry of new junior companies into the market

• Cumulative impacts from mining and infrastructure

development

• Emerging industries such as magnetite and uranium.

Pilbara is arid and is developing rapidly in terms of mine size, proximity and complexity

Changes in the mining sector-continue

Security of Water Supply is essential for

State Development to progress

• Rising water demand in coastal towns and ports which

is outstripping current supply

• Remote Aboriginal communities experiencing water

quantity and quality problems

• Potential over the longer term to have a more integrated

approach to matching water demand and supply

• 2010 Pilbara Water Prefeasibility Study

• 2013 Pilbara Groundwater Allocation Plan Pilbara 2007-2010

Pilbara 2010-2030

Water for the

environment

Licensed

and

unlicensed

entitlements

Unallocated

water

Allocation

limit Total

water

available

Note: unlicensed entitlements include water for stock and domestic use

Reserved for

future public

drinking

water

Pilbara Water Allocation

Plan

• Central Pilbara

Groundwater Study

• Pilbara Coast Water

Study

• Pilbara Regional

Water Plan

• Pilbara Water in

Mining Guideline

Programming

Plan initiation

Plan development

Plan release

Plan implementation and evaluation

A. Assess information

B. Set objectives &

allocation limits

C. Define management

approach

Plan

development

Sta

kehold

er

invo

lvem

ent

What the plan will deal

with

We propose how water

will be allocated and

managed

Release proposed plan

Review of resource

performance Plan evaluations

Plan for public

comment

Statement of

response

Allocation

methods

report

Proposed

policy

Statement of

intent April 2011

Dec-May 2012

Now

2013

Consultation

Pilbara Water Sources

Port Hedland

Water Supply

Scheme

Options

• Expand existing

• WCB

West Canning Basin Exploration

funded by Royalties for Regions

Also potential for Mining Industry supply and irrigated agriculture

West Pilbara

Water Supply

Scheme

Options

• Bungaroo 10 GL

Cane River

Onslow water supply scheme

Town Current

water use

(GL)

Future status of water demand and supply

Newman 3.7 Estimated available water is 10 GL/a.

Water supply aquifer is linked to mining operation, bore field is

recharged by dewater.

Population below 8 000 at 2010, projected to 15 000

Tom Price 1.0 Estimated available water is 9.82 GL/a.

Water supply is linked to Marandoo mining operation

Population below 3 500, possible increase to 5 100

Paraburdoo 0.3 Estimated available water is 4.3 GL/a

Population 1 700

Pannawonica 0.1 Estimated available water of above 0.6 GL/a

Supply can be problematic depending on recharge

Population 727

Marble Bar 0.1 Estimated available water is 0.5 GL/a

Nullagine 0.04 Estimated available water is <0.5 GL/a

Water supply comes from a combination of alluvial aquifers and

fractured rock aquifers

What are the Community supply outcomes?

• Security of supply

• Supported growth

• Integrated planning and investment

• Innovative water supply options

• Best value water usage

• Clear guidelines for water decision making

Thank you