With a Steering Committee chaired by Dr Lesley Gibson now in place, WABSI’s Subterranean Fauna program of work is underway and addresses key focus areas that were identified by end-users.
The program encourages complementarity and collaboration, rather than duplication of research effort, with expertise and contribution from multiple disciplines.
Since the knowledge gaps and issues from end users were brought to WABSI’s attention in early 2017, a series of workshops were instigated and WABSI took a strategic view to develop a program of research that will not only close the knowledge gaps but will also build a knowledge asset for the State to deliver value for years to come.
Western Australia has diverse subterranean fauna, much of which coincides with two areas subject to mining – the Pilbara and Yilgarn that have become the major focus of subterranean fauna assessment. The high levels of uncertainty in the assessment process have resulted in the precautionary principle taking effect, with consequent delays in proposal decisions, various appeals, and stringent Ministerial conditions on development approvals.
