Question On Notice No. 2799 asked in the Legislative Council on 13 February 2020 by Hon Robin Chapple
Question Directed to the: Minister for Regional Development representing the Minister for Water
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
Tabled Paper No: 3743-
View tabled paper
Question
I refer to the issue of water consumption in the Pilbara, and I ask:
(a) for each mine in the Pilbara, by company and location, and for the most recently completed reporting year, would the Minister please table:
(i) the licensed water abstraction amounts, inclusive of mine dewatering;
(ii) the licensed aquifer reinjection rates;
(iii) the actual extraction rates; and
(iv) the actual reinjection rates;
(b) what is the total water consumption of the Pilbara region, inclusive of mine dewatering but exclusive of aquifer reinjection and residential consumption;
(c) split out by year and dating back to the beginning of the 2010 reporting year, what is the total amount the Water Corporation has earned in fixed and variable use water charges and rates from industrial and mining companies, exclusive of residential customers;
(d) which mines in the Pilbara have aquifer reinjection schemes in operation; and
(e) for each mine with an aquifer reinjection scheme in operation, can the Minister please outline how each of these schemes work, as split out by operation, describing:
(i) the nature of each scheme itself (i.e. the model used);
(ii) the name of the aquifer being recharged by each scheme; and
(iii) the name of the formation within each aquifer that is being recharged?
Answered on 31 March 2020
(a)(i) Yes [See tabled paper no.]
(ii) Mines that have licensed aquifer reinjection schemes, with current approved annual reinjection rates and actual reinjection rates (for 2019 water year):
| Mines with licensed aquifer reinjection schemes | Approved annual reinjection rates | Actual reinjection rates (2019 water year) |
| Fortescue Metals Group Ltd Christmas Creek | 43 gigalitres | 15.148 gigalitres |
| Fortescue Metals Group Ltd Cloudbreak Mine | 150 gigalitres | 73.744 gigalitres |
| Roy Hill Infrastructure Pty Ltd | 54.535 gigalitres | 0.381 gigalitres |
| BHP Billiton Iron Ore Pty Ltd Mining Area C | 18.615 gigalitres | 8.817 gigalitres |
(iii) [See tabled paper no.]
(iv) Refer to answer (a)(ii)
(b) The total water consumption of the Pilbara region, inclusive of mine dewatering but exclusive of aquifer reinjection and residential consumption for the last reported water year (2019) was 372 gigalitres
(c) The Water Corporation usually enters into major consumer’s framework agreements with mining and non-residential scheme customers who require more than 45,000 litres per annum. These agreements with large water consumers in regional areas aim to recover the cost of providing water services to their location, define risk and responsibility, ensure the risk of stranded assets is managed and ensure they support efficient water use.
Water Corporation earnings in fixed and variable use water charges:
| | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 |
| Revenue | $31 883 239 | $33 195 591 | $33 325 244 | $33,260,142 | $48,420,603 |
| | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19
|
| Revenue | $81 758 229 | $78 882 002 | $70 788 724 | $69,114,058 | $69,988,897 |
It should be noted that due to limitations in splitting industrial and commercial customers, revenue for industrial, commercial and mining is included in the revenue figures. It excludes residential, vacant land and non-residential concessional land.
(d) The mines in the Pilbara that have licensed reinjection schemes in place are:
Fortescue Metals Group Ltd – Christmas Creek
Fortescue Metals Group Ltd – Cloudbreak
Roy Hill Infrastructure Pty Ltd – Roy Hill
BHP Billiton Iron Ore Pty Ltd Mining –Area C
(e) Four mines with aquifer recharge as follows:
Fortescue Metals Group Ltd Christmas Creek and Cloudbreak
(i) Fortescue Metals Group Ltd Christmas Creek and Cloudbreak reinjection scheme is designed to reinject excess brackish and saline dewater back to the target aquifer. Aquifer storage through reinjection is undertaken if there is brackish water surplus to site needs.
(ii) The target aquifers for the saline and brackish reinjection are the Hamersley Fortescue, and Hamersley fractured rock aquifers.
(iii) The formation being recharged by the brackish reinjection is the shallow Tertiary detritals formation. The formation being recharged by the saline reinjection is the deep Oakover formation.
Roy Hill Infrastructure Pty Ltd – Roy Hill Iron Ore project
(i) The Roy Hill project operates a reinjection scheme licensed as a two-year trial as a method to dispose of excess mine dewater.
(ii) The target aquifer is the Hamersley fractured rock aquifer.
(iii) The target formation being recharged is the deep Oakover formation.
BHP Billiton Iron Ore Pty Ltd Mining Area C
(i) The BHP Billiton Iron Ore Pty Ltd Mining Area C project operates a managed aquifer recharge project at the A deposit and Juna downs reinjection borefield areas, as a method of disposing excess dewater.
(ii) The target aquifer is the Hamersley fractured rock aquifer.
(iii) The formation being recharged is the Wittenoom dolomite formation.