Post-closure funding initiatives to facilitate custodial transfer and relinquishment of mining tenure

Abstract

The aim of mine closure works is usually to minimise residual liability to enable the responsibility for land management to be transferred to a custodial authority. The accepted approach to relinquish mining tenure after closure works is to measure performance against agreed objectives and criteria over a period of time, to demonstrate success to key stakeholders. The relevant custodial authority may, however, be unwilling to inherit the responsibility for managing closed mines and ongoing closure liabilities in perpetuity. There are very few examples in Western Australia where a closed mine has been relinquished to the State Government in a coordinated manner. There are examples, however, where Governments have inherited legacy mines and associated closure liabilities, where the mine operator has been unable to meet their closure obligations.