GUNNEDAH BASIN HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENTIN PARTNERSHIP WITH UNSW

Phil LairdMaules Creek Community Council / NW Alliance

27th August 2012

What is driving the community to develop a HIA?

Current State Gov’t Planning processes are based on incremental project approvals

GB is on track for a repeat of the Hunter Valley

There are tens of thousands of people living in the Gunnedah Basin who will be impacted

There is billions of dollars in csg and coal resources in the Basin

Simple cost benefit Health Service Planning Residents expectations that we will learn from

the Hunter Large scale development has not yet occurred

Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity

Centre for Health Equity Training Research and Evaluation

Health Impact Assessment

UNSW Research Centre for Primary Health Care & Equity

What is HIA?

A combination of procedures, methods and tools by which a

policy, programme or project may be judged as to its potential effects on the health of a population, and

the distribution of those effects within the population

European Centre for Health Policy (1999) Gothenburg Consensus Paper on Health Impact Assessment: main concepts and suggested approach, WHO Europe: Brussels

UNSW Research Centre for Primary Health Care & Equity

• Identify how the proposals affect health and wellbeing

• Who it affects• What can we do about it

– Maximise positives– Minimise negatives

UNSW Research Centre for Primary Health Care & Equity

HIA features

• Prospective

• Predictive

• Systematic

• Transparent process

UNSW Research Centre for Primary Health Care & Equity

HIA features

• Considers intended and unintended effects

• Considers distribution of impacts – equity

• Involves developing recommendations

• Is an aid to decision making (it doesn’t

make the decision)

Dahlgren G, Whitehead M. Policies and Strategies to Promote Social Equity in Health. Stockholm: Institute of Futures Studies, 1991.

HIA considers how a proposal impacts on the determinants of health

Why do we need a HIA in the Gunnedah Basin?

Known Health Impacts from CSG and Coal Establish a baseline profile as to the

existing populations health Growth in the region and demand on

health services to increase Planning on a project by project basis

fails to consider cumulative health impacts

Individual Project plans do not include a HIA

How will the HIA evolve? “Community Led” HIA – community sets

ToR Partner with the UNSW Use existing proven methodology Develop plan for HIA to be included as a

factor in future Gov’t decision making for Gunnedah Basin

When Scoping committee formed end of August 1st (of 2) Scoping meeting 25th or 26th

Sept Scope and ToR to be complete and

approved end of year

Structure of the HIA Scoping Committee (2 meetings only) Steering / Management Committee Gunnedah Basin HIA Co-ordiantor HIA Consultant (Technical Consultant) UNSW – Methodology/Interpretation of

Results

Next Steps Setup an organisation

Co-ordinator ABN, Charitable status, website Approach sponsors Gov’t, corp, NGO Finalise steering/management committee Develop budget Meet with ministers (11th – 13th in Sydney),

arrange for community cabinet meeting

What can NCMA do

Have representation on the Scoping and Steering Committee

Contribute to the funding Assist with identifying a strong

chairperson Provide startup funds to setup

organisation Liaise with other bodies e.g. HNEH,

Gwydir CMA, RDANI etc to resource the project

Namoi CMA Context Our objective is to support Triple Bottom Line (TBL) studies for the

Gunnedah Basin.

These TBL studies must transparently and objectively identify the true long-term cumulative economic, environmental and social benefits and costs of coal and CSG extraction, as compared with current landuses and potential alternative business development.

  Such an approach is recommended by numerous studies (for

example Schandl & Darbas, 2008)  We support the use of scenarios used in the Namoi Catchment

Water Study (which model the impacts on water of a range of coal and csg development scenarios) for all of these future studies. These scenarios will be expanded to included potential coal and CSG development for the whole Gunnedah Basin.

Namoi CMA Context, Cont. Maps similar to those in the Water Study which identify risk,

based on relevant indicators must be developed. The cumulative risk framework developed for the Namoi CMA by Ecological Australia Pty Ltd (2011) for NRM assets will be used where relevant.

The Namoi Water Study forms one “module” of the work required. The cumulative socio-economic impacts of increased mining exploration and development in the region forms a significant gap in our available information. A Health Impact Assessment forms another “module” of the work required.

We continue to support the application of the Precautionary Principle prior to any development decisions being made.