Facilitating Long-Term Outback Water Solutions ? Combining some of the old with some of the new

Abstract

Mining and energy development in South Australia?s far north is set to have significant consequences for the water resources of the region. These sectors generate significant economic value to the State and their support remains a priority for the government. The scale of the planned developments and the potential from current exploration programs facilitated by the South Australian Government through the Plan for Accelerated Exploration (PACE) Program will result in a substantial increase in infrastructure requirements, including access to water resources and Aboriginal lands for exploration and potential mine developments. Presently, knowledge about the character and variability of groundwater resources, the sustainability of this resource, and its relationship to environmental and cultural assets remains very limited, particularly in the priority areas for development The FLOWS project is aiming to address some of these limitations by collating information on the location and characteristics of aquifers, their capacity, and the quality and variability of the contained groundwater resources initially for some priority areas. Key to this is the access and interpretation of historical geophysical data, particularly AEM data, acquired by exploration companies and government in priority areas identified by the State, including the Musgrave Block and the north and western parts of the Gawler Craton. This paper examines the approach being taken and challenges of adding complementary value to historical geophysical data sets.