Mapping EIS stakeholders, the disconnect and discontent of a transient planning process

The resource and energy developments in the Surat Basin in Queensland which were declared activities of State significance have provided an excellent opportunity for an examination of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) required by the State government. Recent changes to the EIS process in Queensland highlight the need for a re-evaluation of the role the EIS takes in the planning process. This paper looks at the EIS process from the viewpoint of key stakeholders involved in recent CSG developments in the Surat Basin. Although central to the planning process for major resource developments stakeholders identified a process of disconnects within the current EIS system and expressed discontent with outcomes. Significantly the EIS process appeared to be seen as increasingly peripheral to stakeholder concerns and functioning as a ‘transient’ planning process focused solely on obtaining project approval. The potentiality of the EIS as a tool for building stronger adaptive regions appears diminished by unclear aims and objectives and a process that has resulted in consultation burn-out and collaborative inertia.