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  • STRATEGIES FOR POST MINE CLOSURE IN AUSTRALIAN COALFIELDS THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GEOTOURISM

    In delivering a national strategy for geotourism development, the Australian Geoscience Council Inc has engaged one of its key members, the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy through the auspices of its Heritage Committee and the Societies of Social and Environment and Geoscience to determine how best the development of geotourism can enhance the scope of regional development of mining areas during current mining activities and after mine closure.

    Geotourism adds considerable holistic content value to traditional nature-based tourism as well as cultural attributes (embracing both Aboriginal and post European settlement) having regard to mining aspects and can be delivered through mechanisms such as geotrails and mining parks within which could developed within potentially identified ‘GeoRegions’. By raising awareness of the importance of the area’s geological and mining heritage in society today, geotourism gives local people a sense of pride in their region and strengthens their identification with the area.

    At the Sustainable Economic Growth Australia (SEGRA2023) summit held in Toowoomba last week, Goal 5 of the National Geotourism Strategy was explained  https://bit.ly/3QhnjWM where it is applied for mining activity, can be developed through collaboration amongst local organisations wishing to celebrate cultural landscapes. Aboriginal cultural elements and landscapes cut across widely accepted, post-settlement landforms and landmarks, and have values specific to various groups and individuals. Geotourism can provide a framework for celebrating mining heritage over the life of Australian coalfields and beyond e.g. the Hunter Valley of NSW and the Qld Central Highlands, benefiting mining communities and regional development. This includes mine closure, having regard to models successfully developed elsewhere around the world (Lusatia, Germany, pictured). At the summit, an excellent presentation from the West Development Commission of the Collie coalfields in WA detailed the extensive planning work undertaken to date.

    The Goal 5 Working Group is currently engaging with enviroMETS (Qld) Ltd, a State Government funded agency, which has been established recently to find innovative ESG solutions and sustainable ways to make mining impacted land valuable to its future custodians. Its mission recognises the diverse range of challenges that can be overcome by adopting a collaborative approach to technical innovation, fresh thinking about repurposed land use, and new land remediation methods. In this context, geotourism has been identified as one of several viable mechanisms.

    A real opportunity for the Toowoomba Planning Region is reimagining a new post-mining future for the nearby Acland Coal mining area.
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