Approvals & Licensing

With a significant track record of successful projects, our team is intimately familiar with the relevant government laws, regulations and policies that govern the use of groundwater. We are here to help you navigate the legislation and secure your approval or licence.

A partner in legislation

A partner in legislation

Developing major projects that extract or interact with groundwater requires engagement and approval from governments. We can help our clients navigate legislation around their works on a range of highly complex projects, helping their business and projects avoid unnecessary complexities and costs and understand their obligations.

Regulatory requirements will vary based on the kind of project, location and the degree of potential impacts. We support our clients through this sometimes confusing maze of requirements across projects such as land developments and infrastructure, major mines, commercial water supply, and oil and gas.

Our regulatory work includes:

  • Preparing groundwater impact assessments for environmental impact statements
  • Reviewing monitoring data and preparing annual compliance reports
  • Consulting with regulators to support clients during government engagement
  • Assessing the yield of groundwater bores to support applications for water licenses
Our experience and stakeholder management

Our experience and stakeholder management

Timing and accuracy are crucial in approvals and licensing.  We understand our clients need a partner to rely on and at AGE, we pride ourselves on being independent, impartial advisers. Our ability to liaise with the regulators means we’re able to take an incremental approach, managing risk as we progress.  We leverage our experience and existing relationships to ensure a successful outcome, acting as a conduit between regulators and our clients.

We excel in stakeholder communications,  with extensive experience in giving presentations on our assessment methodology and study findings, addressing submissions, and can represent as an expert witness when required. Our team can simplify complex issues and communicate your groundwater impacts in clear and easy-to-understand language to your diverse stakeholders.

Groundwater impact assessments

Groundwater impact assessments

In Australia, federal and state legislation typically requires proponents of major projects to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that describes the impacts of the project on groundwater systems.

Depending on your needs our studies may include:

  • Assessing opportunities and constraints to identify key project risks and data gaps
  • Engaging with stakeholders including working with regulators and community groups
  • Developing plans to characterise groundwater resources using our field services
  • Developing conceptual, analytical and numerical models
  • Preparing detailed reports according to industry and government guidelines
  • Identifying potential ongoing mitigation and monitoring measures
Pre-feasibility and preliminary impact studies

Pre-feasibility and preliminary impact studies

Along with completing an EIS, we can work with you to conduct pre-feasibility and preliminary impact studies and manage internal stakeholder communications before progressing to an EIS. In our experience, this helps our clients understand the risks and potential issues as well as secure internal funding approvals to proceed. We have processes in place to ensure that stakeholders across the business understand our studies at all stages of the project.

Ongoing regulatory conditions

Ongoing regulatory conditions

Our support doesn’t end after the approval of your project, as many activities that interfere with groundwater generally include conditions for the ongoing monitoring of groundwater, quantification of water take and routine reporting.

We can provide advice and reporting to help you meet your ongoing regulatory requirements which may include:

  • Groundwater monitoring and modelling programs and water management plans
  • Collecting and analysing routine groundwater level and quality data
  • Using analytical or numerical models to quantify groundwater removed by the activity

Our approvals & licensing work

We have a significant track record of successful approvals and licenses for a range of clients. View all our projects to see depth and breadth of our experience.

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Mt Arthur groundwater impact assessment

The Mt Arthur coal mine is an open-cut coal mine located approximately 6 km south-west of Muswellbrook, in New South Wales. We have enjoyed a long-term relationship with Mt Arthur mine assisting with various groundwater related issues and assessments.

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Ashton groundwater monitoring program

We were engaged to conduct a range of hydrogeological services for the Ashton coal mine. It’s located approximately 14 km west of Singleton in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales and comprises an active underground mine and a decommissioned open cut. The mine targets the Whittingham Coal Measures of the Sydney Basin.

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Sorby Hills pre-feasibility study

Kimberley Metals Pty Ltd engaged us to assist with a pre-feasibility study to develop the Sorby Hills lead, silver, zinc deposit in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia.

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View all hydrogeological & environmental services

Our team’s expertise is in groundwater modelling, field services, approvals and licensing, water supply, contaminant investigation, expert advisory, and hydrogeochemistry. Learn more about our services by clicking the link below.