Webinar: Latrobe Valley Mine Rehabilitation: Will geotechnical considerations drive final landform designs?

Since the closure of Hazelwood mine, and the imminent closure of the two remaining brown coal mines, the communities of the Latrobe Valley, as well as the State Government, have taken a strong interest in the future of the rehabilitated mine land and its potential impact on the regional environment and economy.

This has led to a diverse range of views on the best outcomes for rehabilitation and the acceptable uses of the region’s resources for rehabilitation, particularly the use of water. Many of these views place lower weight on, or ignore, the benefits of passive geotechnical controls than those provided by the specialist geotechnical teams driving the rehabilitation designs.

This leads to the risk that a sub-optimal rehabilitation outcome could arise as part of the extensive rehabilitation approvals process, with long-term implications for future land use and land management. The reasons for this are complex and driven by a number of factors that relate to the history of mining, the history of the region, and the communication of ideas and knowledge about rehabilitation to a diverse community. In this thought‑provoking presentation, Speaker Rae Mackay will explore these issues and their implications for the region’s future.