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Supervising Scientist Division

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    • Alligator Rivers Region
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    • Working at SSD
  • Environmental monitoring
    • Ranger - Magela chemical data
    • Ranger - Gulungul chemical data
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    • Radon monitoring stations
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  • Environmental research
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    • Working with the Northern Territory Government
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    • Uranium mining in the ARR
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3 - Environmental research and monitoring

The Environment Protection (Alligator Rivers Region) Act 1978 established the Alligator Rivers Region Research Institute to undertake research into the environmental effects of uranium mining in the Alligator Rivers Region. The scope of the research programme was widened in 1994 following amendments to the Act. The institute was subsequently renamed as the Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist (eriss).

Following community requests for a broader base to the research programme a tropical wetland research programme was initiated. This built on skills that were present within the Institute and complementary to those required for the ongoing environmental impact of mining research programme. eriss research is organised into two main themes:

• research and monitoring for the protection of people and the environment, focusing on the effects of mining in the Alligator Rivers Region;
• research on the ecology and conservation of tropical wetlands.

Additionally, eriss carries out general environmental research that meets specific needs identified by the Australian government.

The research is undertaken through four research programmes that operate collaboratively:

• Environmental Radioactivity
• Ecosystem Protection
• Hydrological and Ecological Processes
• Ecological Risk Assessment

These programmes are assisted by a small Research Support and Communication section, whose activities are described in Section 6 of this Annual report.

The research programme is assessed annually by ARRTC, whose activities are described in Section 4.3 of this Annual report.

The wetland programme is guided by the participation of eriss in the National Centre for Tropical Wetland Research (nctwr). National Centre for Tropical Wetland Research activities are described in detail in Section 5 of this Annual report.

Because of the scope and complexity of the eriss research programme, only an overview of the programme is presented in this Annual report together with descriptions of a few highlights. Full reports on research outcomes are available in reports and publications listed in Appendix 1.

3.1 Programme objectives

The objective for the eriss programme on environmental impact of mining is to provide advice to the Supervising Scientist and stakeholders on standards, practices and procedures to protect the environment from the effects of mining, particularly uranium mining in the Alligator Rivers Region.

In 2002-2003 the majority of research projects carried out within this programme were focused in one or more of the following areas:

• Projects related to Jabiluka, particularly continued biological, chemical and physical stream monitoring, and commencement of landscape-wide analyses;
• Research on the environmental impact of the Ranger mine, with particular emphasis on stream monitoring and rehabilitation issues;
• Research on the environmental condition of the former Nabarlek mine;
• Research on radiological issues related to rehabilitation of old uranium mine and mill sites in the upper South Alligator River valley.

The objective of the eriss programme on wetland ecology and conservation is to provide advice, based on research and monitoring, to key stakeholders on the ecology and conservation of tropical wetlands. This research is of direct relevance to assessing the environmental impact of mining in the Alligator Rivers Region as the parts of the environment most at risk from mining are aquatic ecosystems including wetlands. The objective of the wetland programme is interwoven with the programme operated through the National Centre for Tropical Wetland Research and with the Department of the Environment and Heritage's goals for wetland management outlined in The Wetlands Policy of the Commonwealth Government of Australia.

In 2002-03 the majority of research projects carried out within this programme were focused in one or more of the following areas:

• Projects to develop effective wetland inventory, assessment and monitoring techniques in support of national and international initiatives;
• Projects to analyse the risks to tropical wetlands associated with invasive species;
• Specific assessment of wetland issues and presentation of technical approaches for use by management agencies;
• Projects to assist with wetland training and education including awareness raising of major management issues.

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