Bats, bunds and very old bones: navigating ecological, community safety and heritage challenges in closing legacy mines
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Authors: Finucane, SJ Open access courtesy of:
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DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2515_46
Cite As:
Finucane, SJ 2025, 'Bats, bunds and very old bones: navigating ecological, community safety and heritage challenges in closing legacy mines', 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. 1-15, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2515_46
Abstract:
In response to increasing pressure to bolster resources and reserves, and fuelled by strong commodity prices, market speculation or other factors, a mining company sometimes take ownership of a legacy mine and its liabilities from another company. Depending on its age and history, the mine may have an approved closure plan in place, but this is not always the case. Indeed, it’s common for legacy mines to be acquired with little or no site data, forcing closure practitioners to effectively become forensic scientists to piece together a site’s history and closure risk profile. If a closure plan exists, it may not meet current regulatory or other requirements. Even when rehabilitation has been conducted historically, the standards and practices of the day may not reflect the expectations of today. If a legacy mine is to be re-opened, a closure plan can be developed according to contemporary standards, though it is recognised that closure outcomes might realistically be less than desired. Achievement of acceptable closure outcomes will also be constrained if a legacy mine moves to closure without going back into production. So what happens next? Taking responsibility for closing and transitioning a legacy mine can pose significant practical, financial and reputational risks, so it’s important to adopt a strategic approach to site acquisition and closure planning for an acquired mine that takes into account the practical limitations and opportunities associated with a site and looks for innovative solutions. However, this can be difficult to do, especially as the complexity of closing legacy sites is usually only realised after completion of additional studies. Consequently, it is important to share experiences of success and lessons learned in this regard. This paper draws on international case studies to discuss key ecological, public safety and heritage challenges associated with closure of legacy mines and explore processes that can be used to achieve the best possible post-mining outcomes, along with practical suggestions on addressing challenges that can’t be fixed.
Keywords: legacy mines, closure strategy, closure outcomes, social-ecological resiliency, cultural heritage
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