Dates: Feb 2017 - Sep 2017
Region: Australia
Theme: Community Engagement
This project sought to identify and evaluate models for stakeholder involvement in post-mining land use change issues in the Bowen Basin and to identify stakeholders’ views of factors relevant to post mining land use.
The key data collection method was four workshops with a cross section of stakeholders, held in Blackwater between February and September 2017. A mock mine focussed discussion.
Five examples of stakeholder panels suitable for assessing resource management issues were examined, and guidelines developed to match the type of engagement to the relevant framework and goals:
- Community reference group
- Special issue group
- Community reference panel
- Expert reference panel
- Taskforce.
The sequence of the workshops was:
- Identify relevant issues and areas where extra information is required (Workshop 1)
- Undertake individual planning exercises for post-mining land use change identifying relevant factors (Workshop 2)
- Provide technical information and undertake group planning exercises for a hypothetical case of post-mining land use change confirming a final plan that met stakeholder approval (Workshop 3)
- Broader contextual issues and preferred deign of stakeholder panels (Workshop 4)
Associated CSRM Staff / Students
- Dr. Jo-Anne Everingham
- Dr Alex Lechner
Other Associated Researchers
- Dr Alex Lechner
- Professor John Rolfe (CQU)
- Professor Susan Kinnear (CQU)
- Dr Delwar Akbar (CQU)
Project Aims
- To identify the key factors that are likely to be relevant to future landholders, local communities, Aboriginal traditional owners (where relevant) and other stakeholders when negotiating closure of a mining operation;
- To model the economic returns and flows from transitioning mining leases to agricultural and other land functions;
- To test the use of different local expert/stakeholder panel models to select and negotiate preferred scenarios for mine closure and subsequent land use(s), and
- To use the findings to assist in the development of a process for negotiating mine closures that aligns with local community and stakeholder needs and acceptance.
Project Partners
- Funded by the Australian Coal Association Research Program (ACARP C25032)