Garneau, P, Dielemans, P, Wright, P & Salt, M 2026, 'Mount Rawdon gold mine tailings storage facility cover system trials commissioning: a 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. 1-14, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2615_132
(https://papers.acg.uwa.edu.au/p/2615_132_Garneau/)
Abstract: Mount Rawdon Operations (MRO), an open pit gold mine in southeast Queensland, completed mining in 2024 and is progressing rehabilitation and closure planning. As part of MRO’s progressive rehabilitation and closure plan (PRCP), tailings storage facility (TSF) cover system trials were constructed in 2025 to generate field performance data and support selection of a preferred TSF cover design for final closure. The trials are designed to:
The trials are evaluating 4 different cover system profiles, consisting of a variation of capillary break layer, reduced permeability layer (RPL), infiltration storage layer (ISL), and topsoil. Materials used include well-graded non-acid forming (NAF) waste rock from existing stockpiles, low-permeability borrow material, higher permeability poorly graded NAF waste rock, and topsoil. The cover system trials are fully instrumented to monitor infiltration, water balance, net percolation and run-off. Associated vegetation trials are also being conducted. 
The paper will present the design and construction of the cover trials and key constraints during construction, including material source and compaction, and operational updates.