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Gunnedah Basin Health Impact Assessment in partnership with UNSW

Gunnedah Basin Health Impact Assessment in partnership with UNSW. Phil Laird Maules Creek Community Council / NW Alliance 27 th August 2012. What is driving the community to develop a HIA?. Current State Gov’t Planning processes are based on incremental project approvals

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Gunnedah Basin Health Impact Assessment in partnership with UNSW

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  1. Gunnedah Basin Health Impact Assessmentin partnership with UNSW Phil Laird Maules Creek Community Council / NW Alliance 27th August 2012

  2. 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

  3. Simple cost benefit • Health Service Planning • Residents expectations that we will learn from the Hunter • Large scale development has not yet occurred

  4. Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity Centre for Health Equity Training Research and Evaluation Health Impact Assessment

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. HIA features • Prospective • Predictive • Systematic • Transparent process UNSW Research Centre for Primary Health Care & Equity

  8. 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) UNSW Research Centre for Primary Health Care & Equity

  9. HIA considers how a proposal impacts on the determinants of health Dahlgren G, Whitehead M. Policies and Strategies to Promote Social Equity in Health. Stockholm: Institute of Futures Studies, 1991.

  10. 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

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. 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

  14. 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

  15. 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

  16. 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.

  17. 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.

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