A study of participant experience of public participation in the EIA processes for proposed coal mining developments in the Galilee Basin.

Abstract

n n n n n n Alpha, located in Queenslandrs Central West, is a small remote cattle grazingcommunity at the centre of proposed coal mining developments in the Galilee Basin. Alphawill bear the brunt of immediate economic, social and environmental impacts of a number ofthese mines such as inflated living costs, dust, noise, lights, traffic, a fly-in fly-out workforce,and changes to the landscape and essential groundwater supplies. Queensland and Australianregulation demands that, as part of the mining assessment process, mining companies ensureunderstanding of the community view as part of their environmental and social impactassessment by conducting public participation processes. As well, the QueenslandGovernment must conduct review and comment periods to inform their assessment ofapplications for approval and the submitted Environmental Impact Assessmentdocumentation.n n n n n n This doctoral project examines how citizens experienced the public participationundertaken for four proposed mines through the lens of fairness and competence inenvironmental decision-making. This lens asserts that, for public participation to be fair andcompetent, the public need opportunities to participate and access to information. To gaininsight into citizen experience, this project asked two research questions: how did the EIAprocess for four proposed coal mines in the Galilee Basin provide opportunities for fair andcompetent public participation?, and how do interviewees describe their experience offairness and competence of public participation in the EIA process of one or more greenfieldmines? The case study research methodology used 25 semi-structured interviews anddocument analysis of relevant sections of the Terms of Reference, Environmental ImpactStatement and Supplementary Environmental Impact Statements submitted by each miningcompany, and the Queensland Governmentrs Coordinator-Generalrs Report for each mine.n n n n n n The study found that while the community of Alpha welcomes the opportunity todevelop their region and is mindful of the contribution that mining makes to the Queenslandand Australian economies, participants identified negative aspects of the mining companiesrand Queensland Governmentrs public participation activities. Major findings are grouped intotwo categories: fairness and competence. In relation to fairness, stakeholders experienced: inadequate notice periods and too few opportunities to attend public participation events;inopportune timing of public participation activities giving stakeholders a limited window todiscuss concerns with the mining company; and, the perception that public participation wascompleted to comply with regulations and not with the intent of including stakeholders inenvironmental decision-making. In relation to competence, stakeholders experienceddifficulties in engaging with the significant volume and complexity of information about eachproposed mine within the allocated timeframe; stakeholdersr lacked resources, namely timeand expertise, to challenge information and compare and contrast cumulative impactinformation; stakeholdersr distrusted information about the proposed project produced by themining company; and, finally, stakeholders lamented the absence of the QueenslandGovernment in the public participation process and the negative impact this had oninformation.n n n n n n Stakeholdersr experience of challenges relating to fairness and competence wereimpeded by three factors: the relationship between inclusion and fairness, mining companycontrol of information, and the Queensland Governmentrs dual role as regulator andbeneficiary. All public participation activities excluded some stakeholders and theirperspectives, and thus constrained fairness, to the detriment of environmental decision-making. Mining companies controlled the production and dissemination of information aboutthe proposed project thus constraining stakeholder capacity to engage, with and challenge,information. Tension between the Queensland Governmentrs role as both regulator andbeneficiary of the proposed coal mines negatively influenced perceptions of accountabilityand impartiality.n n n n n n As a result of these inclusion, information and impartiality issues, public participationin the EIA process for the Galilee Basin did not meet minimum standards expressed in theliterature. These findings have important implications for both practice and theory, namely:addressing resource inequality between stakeholders; establishing equitable access toinformation including baseline data, modelling, and expert assumptions; and, changingregulatory practice to improve the legitimacy, accountability, acceptability, and impartialityof public participation in the EIA process.