Rehabilitation
Mine Land Owner’s Responsibility
Responsibility of mine land owner for mines to be safe, stable and sustainable where:
‘safe, stable and sustainable means—
(a) is not likely to cause injury or illness; and
(b) structurally, geotechnically and hydrogeologically sound; and
(c) non-polluting; and
(d) aligns with the principles of sustainable development;’
(Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) (Mineral Industries) Regulations 2019 (Vic)), r. 4 Definitions, paragraph (1))
What is Rehabilitation?
Latrobe Valley Regional Rehabilitation Strategy has the following definition of rehabilitation:
‘The process of repairing the damage done by mining activity. For example, coal mine rehabilitation typically involves flattening the steep sides of the mine, covering exposed coal with soil and clay and revegetating the area with trees and grasses.’
(State Government of Victoria. (2020, June) Latrobe Valley Regional Rehabilitation Strategy, p. 32)
The Integrated Council of Mining and Metals has the following definition of rehabilitation:
‘The return of land to a stable productive and self-sustaining condition, after taking into account beneficial uses of the site and surrounding land. Reinstatement of degrees of ecosystems and function where restoration is not the objective.’
The Land Mine Rehabilitation Authority has the following definition of mine rehabilitation (Victoria):
‘Returning land disturbed by mining to a safe, stable, productive and self sustaining condition that enables beneficial uses of the site and surrounding land. Rehabilitation is considered as complete once closure criteria have been achieved and the mine license is surrendered. See Closure’
(Mine Land Rehabilitation Authority, 2024, p. 10, Ref: Gen032)
