Assessing Post-Mining Woodland Rehabilitation Plans According to Best Practice Principles

Abstract

Adopting best ecological restoration planning practices provides a fundamental basis upon which successful ecological rehabilitation results can be achieved. In the Upper Hunter, New South Wales, post-mining woodland rehabilitation is generally a requirement for open-cut mining projects. However, while legal criteria for rehabilitation exist, they do not necessarily allow for successful woodland restoration. This research provides insight into the quality of rehabilitation plans for six mines in the Upper Hunter, and offers a point-in-time view into contemporary industry trends and why they may exist. Compliance with national and international best practice standards of post-mining rehabilitation plans was evaluated using a checklist content-analysis approach. This involved an application of a modified Lee & Colley Environmental Impact Statement Review Package, and the ecological restoration Planning and Design standards created by the Society for Ecological Restoration Australasia (SERA). Results revealed minimal inter-mine variation, but exposed substantial variation in compliance between criteria. Firms performed well in elementary criteria such as an identification of disturbance area, stakeholders, and impacts, but did not sufficiently justify mitigation and management decisions. Crucially, there was a significantly lower level of compliance to the SERA standards, reflecting a general oversight of ecological restoration principles. This is largely attributed to a failure within the political landscape to effectively incorporate best practice standards into legal requirements. It is thus recommended that a unified best practice framework approach is adopted into post-mining rehabilitation plans in order to reduce the risk of failure and ultimately allow for successful rehabilitation outcomes. Show more