1084 KEYWORDS World Mining Congress, Mine Closure, Positive Legacy, Policy and Regulation, Australia, Research, Post Mine Land Use, Finance, Shared Governance 1. INTRODUCTION One of the most important lessons from the development of Australia’s mineral resources is the need to plan and act across a mine’s life for what happens after mining ends. Mining is a key Australian industry, a significant source of national, state and territory income, a driver of national and regional business investment and broader economic activity. It is also often the economic backbone of mining regions, a major source of local infrastructure and a significant employer, source of local skills and capability development and key contracting partner. Mining can play a central role as the anchor for broader industrial ecosystems, particular in regions with significant manufacturing, technology and agricultural bases. It may also form part of a region’s wider self-identity. Yet, while many mines extend over generations, all mines are based on finite resources and will eventually come to the end of operational life. Even planned or expected closures create significant social and economic headwinds. Changes over a mine’s life – such as the shift from construction to operations and impacts of commodity price fluctuations – can also cause significant flow-on effects. And, while important progress has been made in addressing environmental risks and impacts from mining, major challenges remain. The scale of new minerals development required to achieve global decarbonization reinforces the need for new and better solutions to sustainably manage mine wastes, pit lakes and other legacy environmental challenges, as well as the opportunity inherent in a beneficial and productive post-mining outcome for future mine sites. In addition, industry is working to meet increased environmental, social and governance (ESG) expectations. Indigenous and regional communities have greater influence on how operations occur, and investors, customers and financiers are sharpening focus on ESG performance and ongoing shared governance. As the world is poised at the start of a surge in demand for critical minerals, ‘Beginning with the end in mind’ – that is, focusing on accruing long-term positive outcomes for people, communities, nature, mining and mining equipment, technology and services sector, and for broader industrial development – provides a critical frame for the sector. Recognizing the significance of this challenge, in 2020 the Australian Government provided significant funding under its flagship Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) Program to enable the establishment of the CRC for Transformations in Mining Economies (CRC TiME). The Centre is a partnership of over 80 mining and supply chain companies, leading Australian research institutions, government bodies, and organizations representing natural resources management groups, Indigenous peoples and regional communities. The Centre is delivering research, translation and capability development through six inter-linked programs focused on Regional Economic Development; Risk, Evaluation and Planning; Operational Solutions and Data Integration; Forecasting and Scale; Education and Training and Cross-Cutting themes. The Centre is funded through to 2030, In this paper we provide an overview of key research findings to date and also highlight emerging issues and challenges. We acknowledge that some of the work we refer to is specific to the Australian context, and that not all findings will be transferable to countries that have divergent histories, varying levels of economic development, and/or operate under different governance arrangements. However, we argue that there is a global need and there are core insights which do have broader applicability to address four interrelated challenges: (1) creating a supportive regulatory and policy environment that removes unnecessary barriers to repurposing; (2) enabling mining core business to facilitate appropriate land stewardship beyond the completion of mining; (3) ensuring that the voices of local communities and Indigenous people are heard, involved in decision making and derive value from repurposing (4) developing
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