Enabling change in mine closure: six key challenges and strategies to enable transition planning, management and execution

Authors: Boggs, G; Measham, T; D'Urso, J; Kelley, B Download Paper Open access courtesy of:

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2515_12

Cite As:
Boggs, G, Measham, T, D'Urso, J & Kelley, B 2025, 'Enabling change in mine closure: six key challenges and strategies to enable transition planning, management and execution', in S Knutsson, AB Fourie & M Tibbett (eds), Mine Closure 2025: Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Mine Closure, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 1-6, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2515_12



Abstract:
Over the past decade there has been a shift in the view of mine closure. At a corporate level, escalating closure liabilities, changing societal and investor expectations and increases in active execution of mine closure projects have brought a new perspective. Equally, there has been a significant shift towards transition based approaches, recognising the multi-stakeholder dependencies that exist in achieving relinquishment and asset transfer. Looking ahead, forecasts have highlighted the growth in mine closure and the opportunity that exists in capitalising on the planned investment and post-mine land and asset use. This is a unique time to enable change to reimagine post-mine futures. In 2024, Cooperative Research Centre for Transformations in Mining Economies (CRC TiME) undertook a review of research completed to date. This included more than AUD 30 million of collective investment across 46 projects, which were informed by more than 100 industry, government, regional, First Nations and research leaders throughout their delivery. To build on what we learnt and accommodate the fast-changing context, we sought to understand both what are the key constraints preventing transformative change and where we could contribute most value over the next five-year period. Six key areas emerged from this process: supporting corporate leadership in valuing post-mine transitions operationalise mine closure transition opportunities within mine planning processes establish the business case for asset transfer contribute to policy and regulation that minimises negative impacts and maximises benefits enable regional scale outcomes support supply chain, education, training and workforce development for closure and post-mine transitions. This paper explores each of these six areas, identifying the priority research, First Nations and industry change enablers. The novel framework sets a clear agenda for broadening the debate around mine closure and towards managing transitions throughout and beyond life of mine, to deliver a positive legacy.

Keywords: CRC TiME, mine closure, strategic planning, transition, post-mine legacy, economic transformation

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