Australia’s mine clean-ups ‘should monitor wildlife recovery’

The impact of mining on Australia’s native animals is overlooked in most biodiversity assessments of mine site rehabilitation projects, a study by Curtin University in Western Australia has found.

The study calls for an increased focus on wildlife monitoring as part of a long-term assessment process of ecosystem restoration when a mine is closed down and the site is revegetated.

The study, published in the journal Pacific Conservation Biology, coincides with plans to close the Ranger uranium mine in the Northern Territory in January 2021. The final clean-up and remediation of the site, which is located in the Kakadu national park, will be completed by January 2026.