We were on an exchange in Australia to talk about responsible mine closures
With the support of the Australian government, through the Council on Australia Latin America Relations (COALAR), we carried out a two-week Colombia-Australia exchange. This was done alongside the Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining (CSRM) at the University of Queensland, to discuss the energy transition and responsible mine closures in both countries.
During the first week of the exchange, we presented the Colombian case at a seminar where we learned about closure and rehabilitation cases in Australia and the Czech Republic alongside industry and government representatives. This exchange was led by the Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI) at the University of Queensland and some of its constituent academic centers. These included:
- The Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining (CSRM)
- The Centre for Environmental Responsibility in Mining (CERM)
- The Cooperative Research Centre for Transformations in Mining Economies (CRC TiME)
During the second week, we conducted fieldwork to understand the country’s experience regarding the mine closure and post-closure phases across different regions.
We had the opportunity to converse with the National Justice Reinvestment Group at the Elders’ Justice and Healing Centre in the Minjerribah Moorgumpin Dunwich Council, Stradbroke Island (State of Queensland). We are deeply grateful for their time and for sharing how they have organized and generated a governance model to address the closure of sand mining in the area.
In addition, we attended an academic seminar at Federation University (State of Victoria), where we learned about the environmental and social aspects of rehabilitation plans in the Latrobe Valley and other cases in Australia. We concluded this space with visits to the Hazelwood, Loy Yang, and Yallourn mines in the Victoria region, where we were presented with the progress and challenges surrounding mine closure and rehabilitation plans.
Transitions in mining territories demand a responsible value chain that encompasses closures and exits from an interdisciplinary perspective. This requires multi-actor dialogue and decision-making based on scientific evidence and local knowledge that is legitimate within the territories and effective in the formulation and implementation of public policies.
Thank you to all the people and organizations that supported and participated in this visit. We will soon share the results and analysis of this exchange and its importance for the Colombian case.
TAMBIÉN TE PUEDE INTERESAR
We were on an exchange in Australia to talk about responsible mine closures
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