Regional post-mining land use assessment: An interdisciplinary and multi-stakeholder approach

Mine closure is regulated and planned on an individual site basis and selection of post-mining land uses (PMLUs) are commonly considered from that perspective. Some mining jurisdictions, such as Queensland in Australia, are starting to acknowledge the need for wider regional planning approaches in which PMLU selection considers regional and local planning strategies, the surrounding landscape and community views. Shifting thinking from site-specific planning to regional scale offers strategic advantages including the ability to consider options that are only viable at scale and to reinstate larger expanses of native bushland or functional agricultural land. Assessing and selecting PMLU options at regional scale requires an interdisciplinary approach that incorporates diverse technical, planning and social stakeholders. However, there is little guidance on how to conduct an assessment of this type at this scale. A collaborative regional PMLU assessment methodology is presented that addresses this gap. The methodology explicitly focuses on the complex contextual factors found in different mining regions to determine what PMLUs a region is capable of sustaining. The methodology provides a path for collaboration between mine operators, governments, regulators and regional stakeholders by providing data that supports their quest for viable post-mining futures. It enables regional stakeholders to start a conversation about what PMLUs are suitable for the region and to foster a collaborative approach to the first stage of PMLU decision-making. The methodology is intended to be a precursor to more detailed decision analysis. Importantly, it does not eliminate the need for planning and decision-making at the mine level.