Assessment of the environmental impact of a development is mandatory under state and federal legislation. It is necessary to consider a range of environmental factors, such as groundwater, surface water and biota.
In Western Australia, groundwater monitoring is mostly associated with water-supply borefields, mine dewatering, contaminated sites, and agricultural land degradation (salinization).
Monitoring is especially important where groundwater-dependent ecosystems are present, or where aquifers are under stress.
