Abandoned Mines Program

Extensive mining has occurred in Western Australia since the mid-1800s resulting in thousands of abandoned mine features across the State, such as shafts, costeans, large pit voids and waste rock landforms.

The Abandoned Mines Program was initiated following the enactment of the Mining Rehabilitation Fund Act 2012 (MRF Act), which provides a source of funding to address abandoned mine features in WA. The Mining Rehabilitation Fund (MRF) in part replaced the Unconditional Performance Bond system with an annual industry levy that encourages progressive rehabilitation during mining operations and provides funds to rehabilitate abandoned mine features across the State.

Money in the principal fund can be used to rehabilitate abandoned mine sites where tenement holders, who have contributed to the fund, fail to meet their rehabilitation obligations. Interest generated from the fund can be spent on administration of the MRF and the rehabilitation of historically abandoned mine sites that existed prior to the introduction of the MRF Act.

The Abandoned Mines Program is guided by the Abandoned Mines Policy released in January 2016, which provides an overarching framework for the prioritisation and subsequent rehabilitation and/or management of abandoned mine sites. The policy requires that sites are prioritised with consideration to significant risks to the community and the environment, and that the potential value associated with a site is identified and protected.

Stakeholder engagement is a key aspect of the program and stakeholder input is sought for each project to ensure concerns and expectations are identified and addressed.

The Mining Rehabilitation Advisory Panel (MRAP) provides expert and independent advice on project development and expenditure.

The Abandoned Mines Program has developed a Strategic Plan to lay the foundation towards achieving the overarching vision ‘To be the leading practitioner in the management of abandoned mine features’. The plan identifies the key initiatives that will support the program’s execution providing for an outcomes-based and adaptive approach to the management of abandoned mine features.

Strategic thinking and outcome-based objectives combined with the implementation of the project planning framework will enable Abandoned Mines Program projects to deliver long-term sustainable outcomes.