Over $200,000 in student scholarships are available to find novel approaches to improving land rehabilitation in Queensland coal mines.
Resources Minister Scott Stewart said applications for the Queensland Resources Council’s (QRC) Coal Mine Site Rehabilitation scholarship, which provides up to two Queensland university students with the opportunity to pursue postgraduate studies in world-class environmental management, are now open.
“Mine rehabilitation is now a key part of company policies and the life of mine planning cycle. Not only is it important for the environment, but rehabilitation programs help create more jobs for Queenslanders after a mine is no longer in use,” Minister Stewart stated.
Although much has been accomplished, Minister Stewart added that he encourages the sector to keep working to advance rehabilitation techniques to guarantee that mining is compatible with both present and future land uses.
“Mine rehabilitation is highly regulated, better implemented, and more accountable than ever before, but we need ongoing research to fill knowledge gaps and identify future issues to ensure we can have confidence in the industry’s ability to manage and reduce its impacts,” the Minister said.
Since 2007, postgraduate students in Queensland have had the opportunity to conduct research to enhance the rehabilitation of coal mines in the state thanks to the Coal Minesite Rehabilitation Scholarships.
The chosen candidates will get $35,000 annually for a maximum of three years to carry out their research, the Queensland Government said.
According to QRC Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane, more world-class professionals are needed to continuously innovate and lead the resources sector’s rehabilitation techniques.
“The scholarships will benefit individual students but will also benefit our industry because we need innovation and fresh thinking to help us continually improve our practices. Managed well, land can be used after the completion of mining for a range of uses such as agriculture, renewable energy infrastructure, native ecosystem, and community development,” Macfarlane added.
Macfarlane said the students’ research projects have significantly advanced their knowledge and ability to practice sustainable land management.
2018 scholarship recipient and University of Queensland student Phillip McKenna used his award to research how bushfires have affected restored land.
“The scholarship allowed me to travel across Central and South East Queensland for the project, which was looking at rehabilitation and how it recovers to fire over time. I initially did my masters on fire recovery; I’ve got a background in ecology, and remote sensing and this PhD is really an extension of that project. This project is really looking at how sustainable rehabilitation is in the long term,” McKenna said.
According to Minister Stewart, improvements in mine rehabilitation provided security for commerce, industry, and long-term advantages for nearby communities.
“In 2018, the Queensland Government passed important mining rehabilitation legislation to ensure land no longer used for mining is returned to its original state, or better,” Minister Stewart added.
