Best Practice Ecological Rehabilitation of Mined Lands
Welcome to the Best Practice Ecological Rehabilitation of Mined Lands Conference Information Site.
The Conference is set to take place at Singleton Diggers RSC, York Street Singleton.
Friday 16 September 2011.
Conference registrations will open at 8.30am
Conference commences at 9.00am and concludes at 5.00pm
SPEAKER PROFILES
Andrew McIntyre, Manager Biodiversity Assessment and Conservation, Office of Environment and Heritage, Department of Premier and Cabinet
Andrew grew up in South Australia, where he developed his love of ornithology. He studied natural resources management at the University of New England, and has worked as a field ecologist in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales with a primary focus on forest fauna. Andrew is the Manager of Biodiversity Assessment and Conservation with the Office of Environment and Heritage and is based in Coffs Harbour on the NSW north coast.
Abstract: What role has restoration and rehabilitation in conserving biodiversity?
The continued growth in coal mining in the Hunter Valley and elsewhere in NSW results in unavoidable impacts on biodiversity. Usual practice to compensate for those impacts includes offsetting with the same or similar values elsewhere. Increasingly, industry is struggling to find the same values available for offsetting and is promoting restoration of "green field" sites as part of the solution. Regulatory authorities struggle with accepting restoration as an offset for a range of reasons. In my talk I will discuss the challenges faced by regulators and in doing so set the scene for the conference.
Gary Howling,Senior Policy Officer, Conservation Strategy, Principal Conservation Analyst, Great Eastern Ranges Initiative, Office of Environment and Heritage, Department of Premier and Cabinet
Abstract: Principles of continental scale connectivity conservation and how they are applied in practice
Charles Huxtable, Terrestrial Ecologist, Vegetation Mapping Unit, Office of Environment and Heritage
Abstract: Greater Hunter Vegitation Mapping (GHM) project
Mark Nolan, Environmental Specialist - Project Approvals, Rio Tinto Coal Australia - Coal and Allied
Abstract: Coal mine rehabilitation in the Hunter Valley - a land use and policy perspective
Dr Carmen Castor, Research Academic, Centre for Sustainable Ecosystems Restoration, University of Newcastle
Carmen has been working at CSER for the last 8 years as a researcher and as a supervisor of honours students. Her work has focused mainly around plant ecology with special interest in seed dispersal and community building. She did her PhD on seed dispersal with Andean plants in Chile.
Abstract: Rebuilding Functional Ecological Communities
Ecological communities are complex, hard to define, and form the basis of all ecosystem services like clean water and clean air for all biota. Many processes occur in ecosystems, some of which are so cryptic that they are easy to overlook. This talk will focus on highlighting some of the key processes and showing how we can start to rethink our use and management of the land to protect basic ecological services.
Examples will be given of current research into pollination, seed predation, seed germination, establishment and growth of plants. A short examination will be made of the state of the vegetation in the Hunter Valley and how in practice we can rebuild ecological communities, how much success we can expect, and a first look into how much it could cost.
Dr Yvonne Nussbaumer,Research Academic, Centre for Sustainable Ecosystems Restoration, University of Newcastle
Yvonne did her PhD examining mine spoil rehabilitation in the Hunter Valley and has continued in this field by working with the CSER since its inception. Her interests are in plant nutrition, plant-microbe interactions and rehabilitation techniques.
Abstract: Reconstructing Sustainable Forest/Woodland Ecosystems on Mined Land
Mined land presents us with the problem but also the opportunity of rebuilding a complex ecosystem from scratch. Challenges can include a lack of topsoil or poor topsoil that has lost much of its functional capacity; nutrient poor spoil with no soil structure and weed competition. Because our understanding of ecosystems is still limited and because each site is different, research with proper experimental design and long term monitoring is important in achieving optimal rehabilitation outcomes. Our main research foci have been reconstructing soil function, vegetation communities and providing habitat for fauna. These include studies of rhizobia bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi; the usefulness of materials such as subsoil, chitter, biosolids and municipal waste compost and approaches to overcoming weed competition. An overview of the experiments, outcomes and key future research directions will be presented
David Mulligan, Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland
He has a background in plant physiology and ecology, and completed his PhD at the University of Newcastle in NSW. This was followed by postdoctoral and ARC Research positions in the Forestry School at the University of Melbourne prior to accepting a research position at The University of Queensland in 1990. Since that time he has been a Chief Investigator, co-ordinator and manager of a large number of major environmental research projects associated with mining and processing in the coal and metaliferrous industries, both nationally and increasingly internationally. He was awarded the Australian Minerals and Energy Environment Foundation Excellence Award in 1998 for "Outstanding Leadership in Mine Site Rehabilitation Research and Education", and chaired the working group that developed the "Mine Rehabilitation" handbook as a part of the Australian Government’s series on Leading Practice in Sustainable Development for the Mining Industry. He is active on many industry and government committees and plays a major role as an advisor of research students in the areas of environmental science, mine site rehabilitation and mine closure.
Abstract: Queenslander Perspective
Peter McGee
Abstract: Carbon Sequestration in Soil
Bill Gardyne
Abstract: Erosion and sediment control
Prof. Garry Willgoose, Centre for Climate Change Impact Management, University of Newcastle,
Abstract: Water considerations
A/Prof. Greg Hancock,Centre for Climate Change Impact Management / Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Restoration, University of Newcastle
Abstract: water considerations
Dee Murdoch,Associate Director AECOM
Abstract: The presentation and associated paper will focus on the practical considerations that underpin restoration ecology, it discusses what industry will endure and more importantly pay for and how innovation and the ability to think outside the square is a fundamental requirement for any restoration ecologist.
Examples will be drawn from the Australian open cut coal, mineral sand mining and electricity generation industries.
Case studies will optimally include open grasslands, woodlands, forests and coastal dune ecosystems. Issues addressed will include:
Valuable habitat from final voids
What to do when there is no topsoil – the use of substitute growing media
The control of noxious weeds in a listed plant community
Weed control techniques in areas where herbicides usage is severely restricted e.g. ground water aquifers and listed plant communities
Management and control of vertebrate pest species
Safety issues related to this work
The key take home message for the land manager, restoration ecologist and mine site employee relates to the need to be able to think outside the square in terms of mine site rehabilitation. To utilise the science based data to make informed decisions and then to work closely with the construction and earthmoving teams to implement the desired result.
Martin Fallding, BTP (hons), BSc, MSc (hons) Principal, Land & Environment Planning Consultants
Martin Fallding is an environmental planner specialising in strategic planning and integrating biodiversity in land use planning processes. He is principal of Land & Environment Planning consultants and his experience in biodiversity planning spans over 15 years working for all levels of government and the private sector.
Martin has closely followed the coal industry in the Hunter Valley since 1979. He researched environmental impact assessment predictions and outcomes for 68 Hunter Valley coal mining proposals in EIA Promise and Reality: A case study completed in 2000.
Martin prepared the Biodiversity Planning Guide for NSW Local Government. He had a key role in preparing the recent Singleton Land Use Strategy and the Upper Hunter Land Use Strategy, and contributed to the Upper Hunter Cumulative Impact Study and Action Strategy prepared by the NSW Government in 1997. He has had experience in writing land management plans, and managing and monitoring rehabilitation projects and with biodiversity offsets. More information is on the website www.calli.com.au/lep.
Abstract: Expectations of mine rehabilitation have changed over time, with increasing emphasis now placed on restoring natural ecosystems and biodiversity. However, rehabilitation objectives are often unclear and practice is extremely variable.
The paper reviews the historical planning and policy context for coal mine rehabilitation. It provides a perspective on how rehabilitation relates to land use planning, mine approval processes and operational land management.
Specific rehabilitation objectives are proposed, together with parameters by which these objectives should be judged. Successful rehabilitation programs also require a strategic regional context for land use and biodiversity which is currently lacking.
Important emerging issues are biodiversity offsets, improving rehabilitation plan documents, monitoring and evaluation. Reviewing and updating current governance arrangements would improve responses to these issues. Economic opportunities could also be fostered by improving skills and practice within the Hunter Valley mine rehabilitation industry.
Dr Gary Ellem, Project Manager, Carbon Valley 2050 Project, The Tom Farrell Institute for the Environment
Abstract: diamonds from coal: Carbon Valley 2050