The organisation said the Queensland mining industry initiative to hasten and enhance the rehabilitation of mined land passed another milestone at the QRC and Environmental Protection Agency-hosted workshop.

The two-day workshop examined criteria and monitoring processes to support the progressive rehabilitation of mined land, incorporated in legislation passed by the Queensland Parliament in 2005.

“Essentially, miners want the opportunity to secure government sign-off on rehabilitated land while a project is still operating, rather than waiting until the end of its working life,” QRC chief executive Michael Roche said.

“The workshop with the EPA was very productive in reviewing the formal guidelines and processes necessary to ensure that more miners are encouraged to rehabilitate mined land more quickly.

“Our aim is to progressively rehabilitate land in accordance with its final land use, whether that be native bushland, grazing land or community facilities.

“A framework that underpins greater certainty about government requirements, company obligations and community consultation is in everyone's interests,” he said.

Roche said a workable progressive rehabilitation “sign-off” policy – first proposed by the QRC in 2001 – would also result in significant environmental benefits, including the faster application of techniques designed to reduce the potential for soil erosion, water contamination, dust nuisance and the earlier return of flora and fauna.

“The key outcome of the workshop was agreement on improvements to the ‘sign-off’ process for both sides. This will require amendments to some current guidelines to better incorporate the concepts of residual risk and the needs of community consultation,” Roche said.

He said the QRC and the EPA would work on effecting procedural improvements over the next few months in order to accelerate mining company use of the progressive sign-off provisions.