Hon Robin Chapple questions the Minister for Water regarding groundwater flow times from Buru Energy's Yulleroo fracking wells to Lake Eda and Roebuck Bay, seeking data supporting the Department of Water's estimates. The Minister refers to a previous answer and agrees to table the data.

AnsweredQoN 3431Legislative Council
Asked
22 September 2015
Portfolio
Water

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to question on notice No. 1505, asked on 9 September 2014 where the Minister said that it would
take "decades as a minimum but more likely centuries" for groundwater to flow
from Buru Energy fracking wells Yulleroo 3 and Yulleroo 4 to Roebuck Bay, and I
ask: (a) what is the minimum amount of time, in years, it would take for groundwater to
flow from Yulleroo 3 and Yulleroo 4 fracking wells to Lake Eda on the Roebuck
Plains as estimated by the Department of Water; (b) what is the minimum amount of time, in years, it would take for groundwater to
flow from Yulleroo 3 and Yulleroo 4 fracking wells to Roebuck Bay as estimated
by the Department of Water; (c) what data does the Department of Water base these estimates on; (d) will the Minister table the data which the Department of Water relies on
for these estimates; and (e) if no to (d), why not?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
18 November 2015
Responded by
Minister for Agriculture and Food representing the Minister for Water
Response time
57 days
(a) I refer to the response to question on notice No.1505 - decades, more likely centuries.
(b) I refer to the response to question on notice No.1505 - decades, more likely centuries.
(c) An evaluation of groundwater flow in a similar sandstone aquifer (Broome) determined the estimated travel times.
(d) Yes.
(e) The assessment was conducted internally at the Department of Water by an experienced regional Hydrogeologist.

Explore WA Government Data

Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.

Explore more