Tender for the Programme - South West Catchments Council

DRAFT
South West Regional NRM Strategy – Ancillary Document
And then there is aquaculture, which is expected to supply 50% of seafood by 2015. Already the
abundance of large predators has been reduced in most oceans, with more dramatic declines in
intensively used areas, such as the North Atlantic. Shallow seabeds are extensively trawled. The rate of
infrastructure construction, especially for the production of renewable energy, is accelerating. Although
none of these individual issues is highly novel, these rapid, simultaneous developments across multiple
sectors will probably have a dramatic impact on the oceans and the species that they support.
See Sutherland et al. (2011) for further information.
7.12 Groundwater contamination
The threat to environmental quality posed by open-cast mining of oil sands has been widely highlighted,
but comparatively little attention has been paid to the threats arising from hydraulic fracturing (also known
as “fracking”) to extract natural gas from organic-rich shale basins. This technology is proposed for a
number of sites across Australia, including some in the south west.
Depending on site conditions, hydraulic fracturing at a single horizontal well might require pumping of
8,000-38,000 tons of water-based fracturing fluids at high pressure into the bedrock. The pumping creates
fractures that enable the subsequent flow of gas out to the wellhead. This generally occurs usually far
below any aquifers and wells can be effectively sealed to prevent leakage. Nevertheless, there have been
cases of pollution of both surface water and aquifers, and of gas leakage.
This is of concern, as fracturing fluids contain several toxic chemicals, including naphthalene, butanol,
fluorocarbons and formaldehyde, which are considered carcinogenic and are linked to numerous human
illnesses. Gas companies are not required to disclose the composition of fluids, which could result in less
effective treatment by wastewater plants.
The high quantities of water required for fracturing are typically extracted on-site from groundwater or
nearby streams, and this could affect aquatic ecology and public water resources. The growth of this
industry across the USA and elsewhere is considerable. This again is of concern, as the spatial reach of
each well is limited so that a high density of wells, access roads and pipelines is needed for
comprehensive gas extraction, creating a footprint that is affecting large areas of natural landscapes in the
USA.
See Sutherland et al. (2011) for further information.
7.13 New invasive species
There are a number of serious pest species that may impact on NRM in the south west in the future.
These not only include the well-known Cane toad, but also the much less known Asian bee, Apis cerana,
which has decimated the honey bee industry in the Solomons (reducing hive numbers from >2000 to just
5). Unfortunately, in February 2011, a decision was taken by a majority of State governments to end
control efforts (see Cribb 2012, accessed on 17/3/2012 at
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asparticle=11661).
Many notable ecologists believe, however, that the case against non-native species is often overplayed
and that it is time to study each such species on a case by case basis, ensuring that both positive and
negative impacts are well-known before “damning” the species (Davis et al 2011 – see
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v474/n7350/full/474153a.html and also
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v474/n7350/full/474153a.html for a response).
7.14 Global financial instability
The recent economic crises around the globe have spooked many investors and reduced the amount of
investment funding available. Impacts have been largely contained in Australia, probably due to the
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