Building Rehabilitation Into the Life of a Mine
Mine closure is a whole-of-mine-life process that should commence as early as possible. Early planning allows closure costs to be addressed during the operational phase and helps minimise long-term environmental, physical, social and economic impacts.
The ultimate objective is to achieve a completed mine where the land is stable, suitable for the agreed final land use and capable of meeting the requirements for relinquishment of the mining lease.
Where closure and rehabilitation are poorly planned or implemented, substantial rework may be required, creating additional costs and long-term maintenance liabilities.
Planning for Successful Mine Closure
Successful rehabilitation and mine closure require a long-term plan that establishes rehabilitation phases, management actions and achievable closure criteria.
Landloch considers it essential that closure and rehabilitation planning begins during the initial mine planning stages. Closure criteria should be based on a final land use that is appropriate to site characteristics and acceptable to relevant stakeholders.
Landloch uses a risk management-based approach to mine closure planning, working collaboratively with clients to develop closure plans that respond to individual mine conditions and the agreed final land use.
How Landloch Can Assist
Landloch’s mine closure capabilities include:
- Determining appropriate post-mining land uses based on site constraints, regional context and stakeholder expectations.
- Preparing mine closure and rehabilitation plans to meet regulatory requirements, including Progressive Rehabilitation and Closure Plans (PRCPs) in Queensland and Mining Development and Closure Proposals (MDCPs) in Western Australia.
- Reviewing conceptual closure plans and applying appropriate science to develop implementable Detailed Closure Plans.
- Developing rehabilitation and closure criteria.
- Establishing rehabilitation monitoring programs.
- Undertaking soil and waste erosion assessment and landform design.
- Developing rehabilitation design and implementation programs.
- Supervising and auditing rehabilitation and closure works.
- Monitoring rehabilitation success, including ecosystem and soil development, erosion, landform stability and sediment movement.
From Closure Planning to Implementation
Landloch’s team has extensive experience in landform design, rehabilitation, soil management and mine operations across Australia.
This experience allows our specialists to identify site constraints, review the scientific basis of proposed closure strategies and develop practical rehabilitation methodologies that can be successfully implemented on site.
By considering closure requirements throughout the life of a mine, rehabilitation strategies can be better aligned with site conditions, regulatory requirements and the long-term objective of successful mine closure and relinquishment.
Need Support With Mine Closure Planning?
Landloch can assist with mine closure and rehabilitation planning, from early-stage strategy and closure criteria through to landform design, rehabilitation implementation and long-term monitoring.