Balancing competing uses for post-mining landscapes with the Post-Mining Land Use Option Assessment Tool

Authors: Maybee, B; Browning, R; Boggs, G Download Paper Open access courtesy of:

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2615_28

Cite As:
Maybee, B, Browning, R & Boggs, G 2026, 'Balancing competing uses for post-mining landscapes with the Post-Mining Land Use Option Assessment Tool', 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. 1-12, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2615_28



Abstract:
As societal demands continue to expand – ranging from biodiversity preservation and natural capital maintenance to renewable energy generation and raw material extraction – the competition for land is intensifying. Meeting these diverse needs requires innovative approaches to land management and regional planning, particularly in the context of post-mining landscapes. Land and assets previously utilised for mining present opportunities to address these competing stakeholder demands when current mineral extraction has been exhausted. Although post-mining land may be unsuitable for restoring premium natural assets, it can be strategically repurposed to reduce the burden on existing ecologically valuable sites. Effective land use planning must consider the diverse interests and needs of stakeholders, whose values frequently compete and are difficult to quantify. Historically, there has been a notable gap in the availability of robust quantitative tools to support holistic decision-making and adequately evaluate options across multiple value drivers. This paper discusses the PostMining Land Use (PMLU) Options Assessment Tool (the Tool), collaboratively developed by CRC TiME and enviroMETS, as an objective framework for evaluating alternative PMLUs through consideration of value drivers across 4 domains: enterprise, environmental, community/regional and cultural/heritage. With user input as a modifying factor, the Tool highlights the relative benefits of each option and ensures stakeholder perspectives are incorporated into the evaluation process. Critically, the Tool can be used to provide scoringbased comparisons as well as more complex analyses that provide comparative economic assessments. Ultimately, the Tool provides decision-makers with a structured approach with which to compare land use alternatives, promoting informed, balanced and sustainable outcomes for post-mining landscapes.

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