The opportunity to access carbon and nature repair markets on rehabilitated mined land

Authors: Dunlop, J; Zappala, L; Purtill, J; Kerr, B Download Paper Open access courtesy of:

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2615_155

Cite As:
Dunlop, J, Zappala, L, Purtill, J & Kerr, B 2026, 'The opportunity to access carbon and nature repair markets on rehabilitated mined land', 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. 1-8, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2615_155



Abstract:
A key objective of the work conducted by the Queensland Mine Rehabilitation Commissioner is to encourage the beneficial use of as much mined land post-mining as possible. Where a miner’s legal obligation to rehabilitate mined land to the nominated post-mining land use and any other conditions have been met, there is an opportunity for rehabilitated mined land to be utilised to access emerging carbon and nature repair markets. Market-based approaches have emerged internationally as effective policy tools to help address climate change and biodiversity loss. The carbon and nature repair markets that have been implemented in Queensland include the Commonwealth Government’s Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) scheme, the Queensland Government’s Land Restoration Fund (LRF) (by adding value to ACCUs through co-benefits) and the Nature Repair Market (NRM). The potential for accessing carbon and nature repair markets on mined land is yet to be tested. This paper focuses on assessing the potential for accessing carbon markets on mined land. ACCU projects must be registered with the Clean Energy Regulator and meet eligibility criteria. To gain an insight into the potential scale of benefits linked to carbon market projects on rehabilitated mined land, a preliminary assessment was conducted across 4 mine sites in Queensland using the Full Carbon Accounting Model (FullCAM). This assessment considered the potential for reforestation by environmental plantings and indicated emission reductions (as carbon dioxide equivalent [CO2-e] sequestered) in the range of 25 – 96 t/ha across a 25-year period. A range of other methods to generate ACCUs are also available that may have potential for application to rehabilitated mined land such as storing carbon in soil, recycling animal waste or switching farm animal diets and fertilisers. ACCU projects may be stacked with NRM projects to leverage increased value. Mining operations may also host additional programs such as fugitive emissions capture and use projects to earn ACCUs. The opportunity to earn ACCUs on land after mining can both help to offset carbon emissions and encourage the transition of land from active mining to a productive and sustainable use into the long term while providing an additional income stream for landholders. This paper presents a pathway for accessing these markets post-mining and discusses both the requirements and the opportunities that accessing these markets present.

Keywords: carbon markets, carbon offsets, nature repair markets, post mining land use

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