Malan, S & Murphy, D 2024, 'Navigating divergent expectations: completion criteria challenges in the Pilbara, Western Australia', in AB Fourie, M Tibbett & G Boggs (eds), Mine Closure 2024: Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Mine Closure, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 337-350, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2415_24
(https://papers.acg.uwa.edu.au/p/2415_24_Malan/)
Abstract: Completion criteria in the mining industry have been a topic of significant discussion over the past decade, with numerous frameworks proposed for their development. However, setting satisfactory criteria remains challenging due to divergent interests among key stakeholders, including Traditional Owners, industry and regulatory bodies. Traditional Owners face cultural risks such as restricted land access, while regulators are concerned about the residual impacts of mines under care and maintenance. Industry stakeholders grapple with ongoing maintenance costs and challenges in closure strategy selection and site relinquishment.
In Western Australia, legal requirements dictate that Indigenous people’s rights must be respected for site relinquishment, necessitating the inclusion of native title rights in setting cultural completion criteria. 
Despite this, reaching a compromise between Traditional Owners, regulators and industry stakeholders to establish satisfactory completion criteria remains difficult, leading to delays in major capital projects and jeopardising successful site relinquishment.
Regional mine closure planning is proposed as a holistic approach to address these challenges, as solutions are more economically viable at a regional scale and can mitigate issues that cannot be resolved on a sitebysite basis alone. Additionally, the implementation of a restoration economy at a regional level could incentivise adequate mine rehabilitation to meet cultural completion criteria. This collaborative approach aims to facilitate successful mine closure while respecting cultural and environmental considerations.

Keywords: completion criteria, stakeholders, Traditional Owners, site relinquishment, regional mine closure planning