Fallaw, L, Chibnall, L & Lowe, J 2026, 'Operationalising a declared mine rehabilitation plan in Victoria: insights from the Hazelwood case study', in AB Fourie, G Boggs, J Heyes & M Tibbett (eds), Mine Closure 2026: Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Mine Closure, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 1-13, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2615_107
(https://papers.acg.uwa.edu.au/p/2615_107_Fallaw/)
Abstract: Victoria’s Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990 and associated declared mine regulations establish the Declared Mine Rehabilitation Plan (DMRP) as a statutory instrument for rehabilitation and closure planning at declared mines. The DMRP links rehabilitation objectives, measurable criteria, monitoring, verification and licence relinquishment within a structured regulatory process.
Hazelwood mine, located in the Latrobe Valley, Victoria, provides an important case study in the practical implementation of this new regulatory instrument. As the first of Victoria’s declared mines to progress a DMRP through public exhibition, Hazelwood illustrates both the opportunities and challenges associated with translating regulatory requirements into a practical, evidence-based rehabilitation plan.
This paper examines how the Hazelwood DMRP has been structured and operationalised through rehabilitation domains, closure objectives, measurable criteria, monitoring and verification processes. It also considers how risk is reflected through the identification of hazards, risk pathways and domain-specific performance measures across active rehabilitation, passive rehabilitation and post-relinquishment phases.
The paper further examines the interface between the DMRP and the environmental effects statement (EES) process, particularly where parallel statutory processes create sequencing, communication and stakeholder engagement challenges. These issues are relevant to Hazelwood because the DMRP must identify a preferred rehabilitation concept while the EES assessment of that concept and alternatives remained under way.
Drawing on the Hazelwood experience, the paper identifies practical insights for future declared mine rehabilitation planning, including the need for clear scope definition, early guidance, transparent treatment of residual risk, and closure criteria that can be reviewed and refined as monitoring data and technical understanding improve. The Hazelwood case study demonstrates that the DMRP can operate as an adaptive planning instrument, provided its objectives, criteria, monitoring commitments and review mechanisms are clearly linked and communicated.