164 to guide planning. Research through CRC TiME has also resulted in an Indigenous-RCEAM Framework. It is especially important given the scale of the Indigenous Estate in Australia. Planning for an eventual post-mine social and economic transition should begin as early as possible – ideally before development of a new mine or basin – to leverage and capitalize on mining-related economic opportunities as they occur. This is especially important as decisions and investments made before development and during operations – by all stakeholders – affect what is possible after mining ends. Another development through CRC TiME was a collaborative planning process undertaken in the Latrobe Valley – a region preparing for the completion of its intergenerational coal industry over coming decades. Lessons from this process, which led to a set of preferred land uses and principles, for almost 10,000 hectares of land that may become available for re-use. Unlocking new commercial opportunities from mine wastes and closure should be a priority in mining jurisdictions, with a focus on quantifying and identifying new ways of extracting economic value from these wastes, repurposing of mined land and infrastructure for renewable energy generation, tourism and biodiversity conservation initiatives and implementation of rehabilitation activities. The potential is huge - particularly for local and Indigenous communities and businesses with the right support and settings. CREATING A SUPPORTIVE REGULATORY AND POLICY ENVIRONMENT Governments can reinforce the importance of post-mining transitions being considered early, strategically and collaboratively as mines mature towards closure and critical minerals development accelerates to leverage economic opportunities for long-term community and regional economic resilience, including by Indigenous communities. In particular, a contemporary and innovative feature of post-mining land use (‘PMLU’) planning is the repurposing of sites such as mine-voids to alternative uses such as pumped hydro, irrigated agriculture, renewable energy, or recreation and tourism. Repurposing may assist to facilitate the transition of a region’s economy post-mining and contribute to rehabilitation for sites that cannot be returned to the pre-mining land use. However, emerging work highlights the need to address the disconnect between mining regulatory frameworks and policy mechanisms underpinning post mining land uses. A key issue inhibiting a third-party engaging in repurposing projects is the underlying tenure and the attached liability for residual and unforeseen risks (Brown, 2025). Options identified in recent reports include tiered tenure systems that align with the different stages of the mining lifecycle. This approach could provide greater flexibility than the frameworks extant in some jurisdictions, although care must be taken not to cause unintended consequences or weaken the overall regulatory framework (AusIMM, 2025a). For example, the Western Australia diversification lease tenure was introduced to seek to address the limitations of existing tenure options because it allows for excision of a specific site, multiple purposes, multiple sub-lessees and is non-exclusive (Hansard, 2023). The non-exclusive nature of the
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