Action item 5.5b
Progress
Complete.
Approved by decision makers.
Recommendation implemented.
That the absence of any treatment and disposal facilities in the NT for wastewater and brines produced by the gas industry be addressed as a matter of priority.
Completed
Action item update
Implementation
In 2019, the then Department of Trade, Business and Innovation, commissioned a Beetaloo Sub-basin infrastructure and logistics study (in collaboration with Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources) to identify the planning, infrastructure, logistics and service requirements to support the development of the onshore gas industry in the Sub-basin, from the exploration phase through to the production phase. This included a high level investigation of infrastructure required to manage wastewater. Completed in January 2020, the study has identified the potential need for an upgrade in wastewater treatment facilities in the Big Rivers region, specifically to support production in a medium and high development scenario.
With exploration activities continuing to provide greater clarity on the potential Beetaloo Sub-basin development scenarios, in September 2021 the Gas Taskforce, Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet, commenced a study to deliver a detailed assessment of the midstream infrastructure required to support the development of the Beetaloo Sub-basin. The study was completed in late-2022.
A further complementary study commissioned undertook analysis and considered infrastructure solutions and models to inform options for the commercial development of Waste Treatment Facilities. This study was also completed in late-2022. The treatment of wastewater will be driven by water reuse through onsite treatment in the next stage of the potential development of the Beetaloo, with the possibility of centralised facilities dependant on the Beetaloo being an economic resource over time.