From compliance to closure maturity: a maturity-based customised tool linking statutory requirements, standards and international good practices

Authors: Oliveira, A; Mayne, R; Kyan, D Download Paper Open access courtesy of:

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2615_101

Cite As:
Oliveira, A, Mayne, R & Kyan, D 2026, 'From compliance to closure maturity: a maturity-based customised tool linking statutory requirements, standards and international good practices', 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. 1-7, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2615_101



Abstract:
Statutory closure requirements and corporate standards are converging on similar principles of integrated mine closure planning. Mining companies actively embed these expectations within internal closure standards, and many, not only those that are members of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), have adopted the ICMM’s Integrated Mine Closure guidance and concepts. However, mid-tier and junior mining companies, some without formal internal closure standards or ICMM membership, face the same statutory expectations but generally have fewer internal resources and tools available. This paper presents the practical application of a customised tool founded on the ICMM Closure Maturity Framework (CMF). The customisation incorporates company-specific closure standards, statutory requirements, and other relevant criteria into a single scale to assess closure maturity. Rather than being a box-ticking exercise to check where requirements are simply met or not met, the tool identifies gaps and the associated priority actions needed to minimise or close those gaps. For each key closure requirement or domain identified, the tool defines the statutory requirements that apply in the company’s jurisdiction, the internal standards requirements, and the maturity level that an operation currently achieves and realistically seeks to reach. The integration of these items within a single tool allows users to directly compare compliance obligations, internal expectations and maturity gaps, and to prioritise and consolidate the action plan. The tool can be applied by mining companies to benchmark the closure maturity of assets across business portfolios, and by mid-tier and junior mining companies as a step in assessing a site’s closure objectives against international good practice and to organise existing closure requirements into a clear checklist and action plan throughout the mine life. In an industry that is actively navigating automation, artificial intelligence, and other technological advances, this case example shows how simple tools can still be effective in identifying, prioritising and actioning closure aspects to satisfy statutory compliance, systematically build closure knowledge, and integrate multiple disciplines and departments to improve closure maturity over time.

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