Innovatia

environment that will best enable a new vision of success in mine rehabilitation and closure. Our CRC has been developed to support and inform this new way of thinking. We are devel- oping new tools that can integrate repurposing opportunities at individual sites and planning at regional scales to deliver net benefits be- yond the mine for towns and broader regions in transition. We recognise that this requires the mining industry to connect with sectors driving post-mine development, from conser-

vation to tourism, agriculture, and energy, as well as consider the critical role First Nations people play in land stewardship. As such, we are working with stakeholders to define a new vision of success in mine closure and post-mine transitions. Without a new, shared understand- ing of success, we will continue to see missed opportunities and conflict that will undermine the sector. Australia is incredibly fortunate to have an environment in which diverse stake- holders can explore solutions together, and the

scaleable, and fit-for-purpose, and the use of re- mote monitoring technologies that identify pro- gress and inform future trajectories. With a mine closure ‘boom’ forecast over coming decades, the CRC platform will enable piloting and com- mercialisation of these technologies and ensure Australia‘s Mining Equipment, Technology, and Services (METS) supply chains are ready to meet domestic needs and positioned to capitalise on an emerging global market place. Change in the sector driven through advancements in tech- nology, greater transparency, and rise in the im- portance of ESG and social licence expectation needs to be met with a new way of thinking. This is an exciting challenge and opportunity for the sector and one that our 77 partners are coming together to solve. Dr Guy Boggs is the CEO of the Cooperative Re- search Centre for Transformations in Mining Econ- omies (CRC TiME). Guy is committed to enabling a new vision for mine closure and positive post mine transitions through effective stakeholder engagement, research planning and innovative solutions. He has extensive experience providing leadership in innovation, actively working at the interface of industry and research.

Australian Governments Cooperative Research Centre Program can enable this. Of course, a new definition of success has significant impli- cations for how we plan, execute, and regulate mines. The CRC is working with our partners to de- velop new decision-making measures that in- corporate considerations of time (short- and long-term), tangibility, and opportunity in de- cision-making. This will increase confidence in our ability to forecast and predict residual risk and make decisions throughout the life of a mine to position it for a positive post-mine transition. The consideration of mine closure through a whole-of-government lens is impor- tant, and we are fortunate to be working with policy makers from multiple government port- folios and national jurisdictions to develop new frameworks and standards that can ena- ble these transitions. The final piece of the puzzle is driving techno- logical innovation to ensure we have capability to execute these visions. Our CRC will invest in innovation that directly addresses the key areas of risk and opportunity identified through new decision tools and recognition of post-mine re- gional perspectives. This requires integration of water, landform, and ecosystem design tools, delivery mechanisms that are cost-effective, “Public confidence in the sector’s ability to minimise the net social and environmental impact of mine transitions is critical, and central to social licence.”

https://youtu.be/ehvNs8lVsOA?si=h- we2Hiiv-lXA_J-3

Video - What is mine rehabilitation?

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