Monitoring with purpose: linking rehabilitation performance to completion criteria

Authors: Gregory, S; Wink, E; Durbin, J Download Paper Open access courtesy of:

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2615_117

Cite As:
Gregory, S, Wink, E & Durbin, J 2026, 'Monitoring with purpose: linking rehabilitation performance to completion criteria', 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. 1-11, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2615_117



Abstract:
An assessment of rehabilitation performance requires a monitoring program aligned with agreed completion criteria and the collection of temporal data that meaningfully demonstrates progress toward closure objectives. In practice, rehabilitation monitoring is often implemented as a compliance-driven exercise, resulting in datasets that are poorly suited to evaluating whether completion criteria have been met or if the rehabilitation works have been successful. Typically, this is repeated over time, resulting in large datasets that are not tailored to demonstrating whether rehabilitation performance targets have been met. This paper presents a structured approach for aligning rehabilitation monitoring programs with completion criteria to improve transparency, efficiency and confidence in demonstrating that completion criteria have been met. Rehabilitation monitoring discussed in this paper applies to landform monitoring specifically, including the assessment of vegetation, erosion, landform geometry and fauna. The approach begins with setting clear closure objectives and completion criteria that describe measurable attributes; explicitly linking each completion criterion to a monitoring program which can be used to test whether rehabilitation is tracking towards meeting the completion criteria. Monitoring methods should be selected based on their ability to detect change at spatial and temporal scales relevant to landform stability, vegetation establishment, ecosystem function and post-mining land use. A case study is used to demonstrate how aligned monitoring programs can reduce regulatory uncertainty, streamline reporting, avoid unnecessary and costly monitoring, and aid in measuring the trajectory of performance towards meeting completion criteria. This also allows for early intervention and remediation activities, when rehabilitation performance might not be progressing as expected. The paper further outlines how ongoing data collection can be integrated into monitoring frameworks to support adaptive management. Importantly, the suggested approach avoids excessive monitoring and wasted resources while ensuring sufficient data quality and quantity to demonstrate the achievement of completion criteria, stakeholder alignment on what constitutes success and, ultimately, relinquishment.

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