Science to support regional Australia facing mine closures

The federal government’s announcement of a new Co-operative Research Centre (CRC) provides a unique collaborative research opportunity to support regional communities facing mine closures, said CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency.

CSIRO will bring expertise across environment, mining technology, systems integration, and data processing and management into the new CRC on Transformations in Mining Economies (CRC-TiME).

The $29.5 million funding announcement for the CRC today is part of a total 10-year investment of $135.4 million to support the successful transition of mining communities to form sustainable community and development opportunities.

The CRC is jointly led by the University of Western Australia and the University of Queensland. The centre brings together a unique partnership of industry; government; universities; research organisations, including CSIRO; and community/regional groups with a vision for sustainable mine closures and community and regional development opportunities in Australia.

“CRC TiME has the potential to create hundreds of new opportunities and regional jobs through the implementation of restoration activities and increased supply of closure and post-closure products and services,” said Dr Guy Boggs, CEO of the CRC.

Senior scientist Dr Jason Kirby leads CSIRO’s involvement in the CRC.

“The scale of investment across community, government and industry will have major benefits for regional Australia with several large mines reaching their end and closing in the near future,” he said. “This effort will support regions to transition to a more prosperous and sustainable post-mining future, acknowledging the need for whole-of-community benefit, including indigenous futures, environmental restoration and economic outcomes.”

CSIRO’s role is to support the collaborative research program and assist the CRC to establish nationally recognised demonstration sites where technology and solutions can be shown to bring positive benefits to the community and to mine closures.

“The demonstration sites will provide an avenue to assess, test and showcase technologies and solutions through a unique collaborative platform,” Dr Kirby said.

Visit the CRC website for more information and a full list of current CRC-TiME partners.

Image: Runoff from the Brukunga Mine, in the Adelaide Hills, a legacy iron sulfide mine from 1955 and 1972.