National Mining Soil Rehabilitation, Closure & Water Summit 2026

Hosted at the Mercure Hotel  in Townsville, QLD  

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Email minesandenvironment@jazcorpaustralia.com.au by 1st August 2026 5pm AEST 

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Theme

Restoring Land. Managing Water. Securing Long-Term Closure Outcomes.

 

Overview 

The National Mining Soil Rehabilitation, Closure & Water Summit 2026 brings together leading practitioners from mining, government, engineering, environmental science, water management, and rehabilitation disciplines to examine the evolving technical, regulatory, and environmental challenges associated with post-mining land systems.

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Across Queensland and broader Australian mining regions, rehabilitation and closure outcomes are increasingly shaped by the performance of reconstructed soils, the long-term stability of water systems, and the capacity of mining operations to deliver self-sustaining post-disturbance ecosystems under changing climatic conditions.

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Despite advances in rehabilitation practice, significant uncertainty remains regarding the long-term functionality of reconstructed soils, the behaviour of mine-impacted water systems, and the adequacy of current closure frameworks in addressing multi-decadal environmental risks.

 

Thematic focus areas for Abstract Submission

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The Scientific and Program Committee invites abstracts addressing (but not limited to) the following priority areas:

 

Mining Soil Rehabilitation & Functional Land Systems

Submissions may address the scientific, engineering, and regulatory dimensions of soil reconstruction in mining environments, including:

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• Future directions in mining soil rehabilitation and functional land systems

• Topsoil scarcity, stockpiling degradation, and biological soil decline

• Engineered growth media and alternative soil system development

• Soil structure, compaction, and long-term infiltration performance

• Soil microbial recovery, carbon cycling, and ecosystem functionality

• Revegetation performance, failure mechanisms, and soil-plant interaction systems

• Progressive rehabilitation frameworks and functional completion criteria

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Erosion, Landform Stability & Climate-Driven Rehabilitation Risk

Submissions are invited on:

• Erosion and sediment transport in post-mining landscapes

• Landform stability under extreme rainfall and cyclonic events

• Sediment mobilisation and downstream environmental impacts

• Climate-resilient rehabilitation design and adaptive landform engineering

• Integration of hydrological modelling into rehabilitation planning

• Ecosystem Restoration & Self-Sustaining Rehabilitation Systems

• Submissions may explore:

• Transition from revegetation to ecosystem functionality outcomes

• Soil biology, microbial restoration, and ecological succession processes

• Carbon recovery and long-term ecosystem resilience in mined landscapes

• Metrics and frameworks for defining self-sustaining post-mining ecosystems

• Monitoring approaches for long-term rehabilitation performance

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 Mine Closure, Liability & Long-Term Environmental Governance

Abstracts are encouraged addressing:

• Mine closure planning and evolving regulatory expectations

• Closure liability, financial assurance, and long-term risk exposure

• Governance frameworks for multi-generational environmental responsibility

• ESG reporting, transparency, and stakeholder accountability in closure outcomes

• Limitations of current closure frameworks in addressing climate-driven risk

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Water in Mining, Closure Systems & Contaminant Mobility

A key focus of the Summit is the long-term management of mine-impacted water systems, particularly in Queensland contexts. Submissions may include:

• Acid mine drainage prediction, prevention, and long-term management

• Pit lakes, final voids, and post-closure water quality behaviour

• Tailings water interaction and geochemical stability risks

• Contaminant mobilisation during extreme rainfall and flood events

• Water–soil interaction in mine rehabilitation and closure systems

• Water stewardship, allocation pressures, and operational water efficiency

• Water treatment technologies for operational and post-closure environments

• Climate-driven hydrological stress and infrastructure resilience

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KEY ISSUE OF FOCUS (QUEENSLAND CONTEXT)

• Submissions addressing Queensland-specific challenges are strongly encouraged, particularly those examining:

• Long-term instability of mine-impacted water systems under extreme rainfall conditions

• Uncertainty in pit lake and final void management outcomes

• Acid and metalliferous drainage risks in legacy and active mining systems

• Sediment and contaminant mobilisation during flood events

• Integration of soil, water, and closure systems under evolving regulatory expectations

 

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Authors are invited to submit abstracts that:

• Present original research, applied case studies, or technical frameworks

• Demonstrate relevance to mining rehabilitation, closure, or water systems

• Address regulatory, scientific, engineering, or operational dimensions

• Include clear implications for industry practice or policy development

 

Suggested Abstract Structure:

• Title

• Background / Problem Statement

• Methods or Approach

• Key Findings or Insights

• Industry or Regulatory Implications

 

 

WHO SHOULD SUBMIT

• Mining companies and operations teams

• Environmental and rehabilitation consultants

• Geotechnical and civil engineers

• Hydrologists and water specialists

• Soil scientists and ecologists

• Government regulators and policy advisors

• ESG and sustainability professionals

• Academic and research institutions 

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SUMMIT OBJECTIVE

The Summit aims to critically examine whether current mining rehabilitation, closure, and water management frameworks are sufficient to deliver long-term, self-sustaining environmental outcomes in the context of:

• climate variability

• increasing regulatory expectations

• rehabilitation performance uncertainty

• and long-term environmental liability exposure

 

 

 FINAL NOTE

This Summit seeks to bridge the gap between:

• scientific understanding, operational practice, and regulatory expectation

• in mining soil rehabilitation, closure systems, and water management.