NSW drought prompts aerial search for new water reserves

A team of scientists will take to the air in a bid to try and locate new water supplies across drought-stricken NSW. The three-month aerial survey will look at ways to help farmers maintain their land and cattle.

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One of the most ambitious aerial surveys conducted in the state is set to begin in the hope of locating new water supplies for drought-stricken farmers.

Scouring an area around 17,000sq km in size, a team of scientists will take to the air where electromagnetic technology will be deployed to identify undiscovered regional water supplies up to 200m underground.

The three-month survey, to be conducted between Bourke and Lake Cargelligo in western NSW from late September, is part of a joint arrangement ­between Geoscience Australia and Geological Survey of NSW to urgently find new ­resources for the state.

Scientists will conduct a three-month aerial search for water in parts of country NSW. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The survey will also be looking for mineral deposits.

Nationals leader John Barilaro said identification of both water and potential new mineral deposits was critical for the wellbeing of the state, ­especially the bush.

“Much of regional NSW is struggling through one of the worst droughts on record and this survey is critical in helping to identify previously undiscovered water reserves,” he said.

“That’s why the government is taking part in this ­important initiative which will provide new information about the geology, metal ­potential and groundwater ­resources of these areas.

“Securing regional jobs is a high priority. The minerals ­industry supports thousands of jobs that support the wellbeing of our regions.”

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The project is being ­supported by the $200 million MinEx Co-operative Research Centre (CRC), a collaboration between the Federal, State and Territory governments, the CSIRO, Australian universities and the minerals industry.

The Centre, described as the world’s largest mineral ­exploration collaboration, was set up to address the need for mineral resources to meet ­future demand.

With few new mineral deposits exposed at the surface ­remaining to be found in Australia, the Centre is working to discover hidden potential new resources.

The drought has had a severe impact on country NSW. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The government is counting on the survey to also find desperately needed new water supplies with the technology able to identify below-surface reserves.

Geological Survey of NSW Geophysics and Modelling manager, Dr Ned Stolz, said the technology was able to identify conductive materials such as copper, lead and zinc as well as water.

“We fix a transmitter to a small plane or helicopter which emits a weak electromagnetic signal,” he said.

“That signal can pick up everything from highly conductive to nonconductive ­materials, allowing us to create a kind of underground map down to around 200m.”

Geological Survey of NSW, a major participant in the MinEx CRC National Drilling Initiative, has committed $16 million over 10 years towards the project.

Government figures show the new mineral industries of platinum, cobalt and lithium, for which demand is rapidly ­increasing, paid $1.8 billion in royalties to the state last financial year and also generated thousands of jobs.

Originally published as NSW drought prompts aerial search for new water reserves