ENVIRONMENT
The Irrigated Plantation and Cropping Program beneficially manages water produced as a by-product of coal seam gas production. The program is commercially sound, environmentally sustainable and represents an opportunity for landholder and community participation.
Irrigated plantations provide a relatively low intensity system and the scale necessary to beneficially use the large volumes of CSG produced water. While CSG gas may flow for 30-50 years, water rates peak from 2-8 years and steadily decline after 10-15 years.
Using environmentally neutral to positive technologies, the Irrigated Plantation and Cropping Program integrates gas production and water management with commercial forestry and cropping with a further potential for cattle grazing in the medium term.
Soil
Irrigation with untreated CSG water can lead to increased soil sodicity and soil structural decline. Our cutting-edge science and operational capabilities provide a treatment process that preserves the structural integrity of plantation soils and promotes plant health.
Salinity
CSG water typically has low to moderate salinity. Native tree species are selected based upon drought and salt tolerance, resistance to pests and disease and long term yield. Amended CSG water is mostly used by the trees and evaporated into the atmosphere.
Trees need more water in summer and less in winter, but until a gas field is mature, the CSG water flow is constant. By sophisticated adjustment of irrigation flows, plant health and soil integrity is balanced against CSG water volume and changing weather.
Groundwater
The entire hydrological cycle of the irrigation site is monitored using world class telemetry. Long term, sustainable management of CSG produced water relies on detailed data collection and monitoring. By sophisticated adjustment of irrigation flows, plant health, soil integrity and groundwater aquifers are preserved.
Carbon
Storing carbon in new forests is one of the few immediately available, cost effective options to significantly reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Carbon sequestered in the plantations may later be used to reduce carbon emission liability under the proposed Australian Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.
Sustainability
One of the benefits of the irrigated plantations is that the trees survive as a dry land crop when the CSG water flow declines and eventually stops. The plantations are established as a long term commercial crop for timber harvesting and / or carbon sequestration. The average carbon sequestered by the plantations over multiple harvesting cycles is available to offset emissions from other areas of our customers’ operations. The trees supplement Australian forestry resources to provide support to regional timber industries long after gas production ceases.