What is mine rehabilitation and mine remediation?
Learn about the difference in these terms, and why it matters.
Mine rehabilitation is the process of repairing the damage done by mining activity and returning the land to something closer to its former state. This can involve simply making the site safe and stable, but global best practice strives to create a landscape that can support future uses of the land – such as returning it to an agricultural landscape or identifying new beneficial uses.
Mine remediation focuses on just neutralising the hazardous materials and contaminants to make the area safe for the environment and the public. Rehabilitation is a broader process, with the goal of restoring the land, while remediation is a part of rehabilitation and focuses on the necessary cleanup to stop further environmental degradation.
Victoria’s three brown coal mines – Hazelwood, Yallourn and Loy Yang – all sit on Gunaikurnai Country in the Latrobe Valley (see our map below). In their position statement, ‘Healing Wurruk after Coal, the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC) explains their approach to the terms “remediation” and “rehabilitation:”
“Our Elders have told us that it’s not right to use the word “rehabilitation” when talking about healing Country after coal mining. They told us that rehabilitation would mean restoring Country to its original state before coal mining, before European settlement – but we know that there will always be scars on this Country that tell the story of our land’s dispossession. Instead, we choose to use the word “remediation” to describe the process of healing Country impacted by coal mining.” – Source/ Healing Wurruk Position Paper
Image Caption: Lower Latrobe River
The language on this webpage is updated to reflect this preference, but it should be noted that while remediation is likely what the land will get, the total and complete rehabilitation of the land is a long term goal that shouldn’t be overlooked or forgotten.
At a practical level, coal mine remediation typically involves flattening the steep sides of the mine, covering exposed coal with soil and clay and revegetating the area with trees and grasses.
You can read more about what is currently being proposed for Victoria’s coal mines below.
Download our Fair Future for Latrobe Valley booklet here
Map of Latrobe Valley and its Coal Mines
You can expand this map to full screen using the button in the top right corner of the map. The red zones highlighted on the map are active mine voids that have already been dug up. It should be noted that the mine license areas, which is where the mine operators are legally permitted to dig up more coal, are much wider than the existing mine voids reflected on this map.
