UWA Mining Innovation Network
An interdisciplinary hub tackling the complex challenges of the mining industry of the future
The Mining Innovation Network (MINe) brings together expertise from across The University of Western Australia (UWA) to deliver innovative, step-change solutions for the mining industry, across three activity areas: education and training, research and development, and community and engagement. MINe works in collaboration with industry, government, research and training institutes, and civil society organisations, to co-create solutions to local, national and global challenges facing the mining industry.
UWA is ranked in the top one per cent of universities in the world
Ranked 3rd in the world for Mineral and Mining Engineering (ARWU 2021)
30th in the world for Clinical Medicine (ARWU 2021)
1st in Australia and 21st in the world for Environmental Science and Engineering (ARWU 2021)
Top 50 in the world for Ecology (ARWU 2021)
Top 50 in the world for Psychology (QS 2021)
Ranked in the world's top 51-75 for Public Health (ARWU 2021)
Ranked in top 100 law schools in the world (QS and Times Higher Education 2020)
Top 100 worldwide for Accounting and Finance (QS 2019)
Why MINe?
UWA is a world recognised training and research institution. MINe provides a platform that coalesces UWA’s expertise in mining to collectively tackle pressing problems and advise on future challenges.
We offer training for the future workforce, providing re-skilling and up-skilling opportunities for global industry professionals. We organise events to discuss pressing problems in the sector and engage in research to develop knowledge based solutions.
For more information on training, events, research and partnerships email - [email protected]
Our capabilities
UWA hosts a number of centres of expertise with direct relevance to the mining industry, offering training in our undergraduate and postgraduate programs, bespoke training packages tailored to client needs, and research and technology development services.
- Mineral exploration: Centre for Exploration Targeting (including the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Core to Crust Fluid Systems)
- Geomechanics and geotechnics: Australian Centre for Geomechanics (open access Conference Proceedings Repository: https://papers.acg.uwa.edu.au/)
- Asset maintenance: Transforming Maintenance through Data Science – an Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Training Centre
- Law: Centre for Mining Energy and Natural Resource Law
- Environmental and resource economics: Centre for Environmental Economics and Policy
- Rock art conservation: Centre for Rock Art Research and Management
- Mine closure and regional economies: (New!) Cooperative Research Centre for Transformations in Mining Economies
- Environmental management: (New!) Environmental Stewardship in Mining Initiative
- Shift work and sleep: Centre for Sleep Science
- Energy exploration, and gas sequestration: Centre for Energy Geoscience
- Tailings geotechnics and geomechanics: Future Tails
Short Courses
- ENVT5517 Rehabilitating Mined Landscapes
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Unit overview:
Mining and processing of mineral and energy resources can cause significant land-based environmental impacts. The overall aim of this course is to equip participants with the skills and knowledge required to design and implement effective rehabilitation plans for mining environments. This unit, comprising three modules, will provide participants with an understanding of key concepts, and practical skills, in mined land rehabilitation, including restoration versus alternative end land uses and novel ecosystems, how to characterise and amend mine site materials for successful rehabilitation and closure, building ecosystems, designing monitoring schemes and completion criteria, closure costing, and considerations for minimising ongoing management inputs and increasing overall sustainability. Online lectures are supported by a virtual field trip to examine rehabilitation strategies in action, and recorded laboratory tutorial sessions to build practical skills in analytical procedures and interpretation of results, and rehabilitation and closure costing.Outcomes:
After completion of the full unit, participants will be able to:
- identify major sources of land-based environmental impacts resulting from mining and refining operations and assess the likely magnitude of these impacts;
- discuss the factors that need to be considered when selecting rehabilitation targets and overall end land use goal in post-mining landscapes;
- critically assess analytical methods, and analyse and interpret data for characterisation of mine site materials, integrating these data in formulation of impact assessments and proposed management strategies;
- formulate practical plans for the rehabilitation of land used for mining and/or refining operations based on an in-depth knowledge of the fundamental scientific processes causing these impacts and an awareness of best practice management strategies; and
- critically assess the adequacy of land rehabilitation and monitoring plans and develop creative and innovative strategies for improving them.
Who should attend?
This course is aimed primarily at junior and mid-career participants pursuing careers in environmental management and rehabilitation within the mining industry, either in consultant roles, in government agencies, or within industry companies. Those making lateral moves from other roles in environmental assessment and management (e.g. contaminated sites assessment, EIA of urban landscapes etc.) or other mining industry roles (e.g. exploration geology, chemical engineering etc.) are encouraged to register. Late career/senior role participants are welcomed where their primary role is not environment-focussed, and they wish to build a firm understanding of environmental impacts and management in mining operations.
Unit structure:
Module 1: Global context and approaches to mined land rehabilitation and closure
Outcomes: 1, 2- Review of global mining impacts and drivers
- Closure and rehabilitation definitions and goals
- Causes and risks of rehabilitation failures
- Post-mining landscapes as part of natural landscapes: to rehabilitate, remediate, reclaim, or restore?
- Post mining substrates as soils: how to generate a 'soil' from wastes
Module 2: Remediating chemical, physical, and biological properties of mine site materials for successful rehabilitation and closure
Outcomes: 3, 4 (and building on 1)- Chemical, physical, and biological transformation and stabilisation of post-mining landforms
- Key properties to be corrected: micro- and macro-scale impacts
- Common remediation strategies and their pros and cons in various contexts
- Caps and cover systems, and in situ remediation
- Building vegetation and fauna communities
Module 3: Measuring success, minimising burden, and maximising sustainability
Outcomes: 4, 5 (and building on 1, 2, 3)- Selecting rehabilitation indicators and setting completion criteria
- Designing and implementing monitoring schemes
- Reporting and moving towards closure and relinquishment
- Long-term implications of rehabilitation approaches for management after closure
- Budgeting for management of post-mining landforms
- Measuring and reporting on sustainable development and Triple Bottom Line outcomes in mining