Mapping the regulation of mine closure

Mapping the regulation of mine closure: a CRC time project

Presented by Professor Alex Gardner and Laura Hamblin

The project (15 March – 24 December 2021) has three stages in mapping the Australian regulation of mine closure, focusing on Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia and the Commonwealth:

1. Key concepts, goals and institutions.
2. The current regulatory frameworks found in the legislation for mining, environmental protection, water resources and land use planning.
3. The experience with the current regulatory frameworks & potential reforms.

Throughout the drafting of stages 1 & 2 of the report, five key points have been identified:

1. Queensland and Victoria’s legislative regimes have greater statutory detail, whilst Western Australia relies more heavily on guidelines and policy.
2. Queensland and Western Australia use a pooled monetary fund as a form of financial security for rehabilitation. Victoria uses a system of bonds.
3. Queensland and Victoria have dedicated administrative bodies which manage mine closure, whilst Western Australia does not.
4. All three states require mine closure plans to be updated at periodic intervals.
5. Whilst mining tenement holders must meet both state and federal regulatory requirements, when mines are in the closure phase soft law including industry standards is often used as the reference point as it is able to evolve more rapidly.

ZOOM details to be circulated prior to the event.