CSIRO study seeks to identify drought refuges for terrestrial species in the Cooper Basin
Note: In April 2024, the QLD RAC approved the “Identifying drought refuges for terrestrial species in the Cooper Basin’ project.” However, significant rain and associated flooding in March-June 2025 have transformed the environment in the region, bringing a large pulse in primary productivity and boom conditions. As a consequence of the wet conditions, a project that examines drought refuges is no longer possible. In July 2025 The QLD RAC approved a variation to the project to reflect a decision to pivot the research focus onto the habitat of a subset of the focal species during periods of high productivity. In particular this will examine bird breeding habitat. The intention of the revised project is to take advantage of this pulse in resource availability and capture information on important breeding sites for a subset of the focal species.
The revised project was re-named Breeding response of focal threatened species to a resource pulse in the Cooper Basin.
The following text reflects the August 2024 news item based on the original project:
CSIRO Researchers will undertake a project to locate, assess and manage terrestrial habitats in the Cooper Basin that are essential for protecting and maintaining threatened species during dry periods.
Conducted through CSIRO’s Gas Industry Social and Environmental Research Alliance (GISERA), the project will build on the extensive knowledge we already have of aquatic environments in the region, and use that to better manage terrestrial environments during natural gas exploration and development.
Oil and gas resources were first discovered in the Cooper Basin region in 1963 and, after 50 years of conventional oil and gas production, it remains highly prospective for the development of unconventional gas resources. It is also a dynamic region with nationally and internationally important biodiversity values.
Although some areas of the Cooper Basin will be excluded from gas development, community concerns remain about the protection of the natural environment and the ongoing resilience of the Basin. This research seeks to address some of the specific concerns around threatened terrestrial species.
Dramatic variation in rainfall and river flows in the Cooper Basin lead to major environmental changes over time. A key challenge in the Cooper Basin is to protect threatened species – and their habitats – during dry periods.
Previous research has focused on the role of waterholes as refuges that provide habitat for fish and other aquatic animals as the wider landscape dries. CSIRO researchers now want to apply this concept to the terrestrial environments of the Cooper Basin, and identify locations that act as refuges for land-based animals.
Through a combination of desktop and field-based research, researchers will seek to identify discrete sites in the landscape that are drought refuges for threatened and significant species, and will then develop approaches for assessing and monitoring these in the future.
Information generated through this research will help inform decision-making and facilitate future site assessment within the gas industry.
Read more about the revised project
Learn about other GISERA biodiversity research