Webinar: Beyond the final blast - Designing closure that lasts

Join the Geomechanics Society for their upcoming webinar: Beyond the final blast - Designing closure that lasts.

About this event

Mine closure is no longer an end-of-life exercise - it is a complex, high-risk component of mine planning that demands early, strategic integration across technical disciplines.

This webinar will introduce the new guidelines for open pit closure, a landmark publication that delivers practical, state-of-best-practice guidance for geotechnical and hydrogeological closure planning of large open pits and associated waste facilities.

The session will cover:

• The real-world challenges of planning for closure under uncertainty, changing conditions, and increasing regulatory scrutiny;
• How to define pragmatic closure objectives, identify key risks, and apply structured methodologies for design, implementation, and monitoring;
• A walkthrough of the guideline’s core chapters, including pit slope and waste dump design, hydrology, risk management, and stakeholder engagement.

This topic is highly relevant to practitioners, mine managers, regulators, and consultants who face increasing pressure to demonstrate safe, stable, and sustainable closure outcomes - often decades in advance. Attendees will gain insights into globally aligned practices that balance operational practicality with long-term relinquishment goals.

Our speaker Phil de Graff, the lead editor of the guideline, brings deep technical expertise and decades of experience in open pit geotechnical engineering and closure strategy. Phil will provide firsthand context on the intent, development, and future application of the guidelines, including lessons learned from industry-wide consultation and case study contributions.

Webinar time: 1.00pm - 2.00pm AEST.