Independent
Expert Scientific Committee
The IESC was established as a statutory committee in
2012 by the Australian Government through an amendment to the Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 in response to community
concerns about coal seam gas and coal mining.
The IESC aims to improve the collective scientific
understanding of the water-related impacts of coal seam gas and large coal
mining developments through targeted research and a transparent assessment
process. To achieve this, the IESC:
- Assesses and advises on the direct and cumulative impacts of proposed coal
seam gas and large coal mining developments in the participating states,
allowing a more comprehensive review of potential impacts to water resources,
including cumulative impacts.
- Advises the Australian Government on bioregional
assessments and research
priorities and projects. Bioregional assessments and other research will
improve our knowledge base regarding the potential water related impacts of coal
seam gas and large coal mining.