ACARP ACARP ACARP ACARP
Open Cut

Mine Rehabilitation and Closure Knowledge Management WIKI: MRC-WIKI

Open Cut » Environment

Published: March 17Project Number: C24067

Get ReportAuthor: Corinne Unger, Thomas Baumgartl, Carol Bond, Vanessa Glenn and Paul Sabourenkov | University of Queensland

This research project was undertaken over two years following completion of a scoping study. The scoping study provided guidance on a number of knowledge management platforms and decision tools for sharing rehabilitation and closure knowledge as well as providing capacity for discussion forums. A wiki-based Mine Rehabilitation and Closure (MRC) knowledge platform was identified as the preferred method for providing the flexibility and functionality required by the Central Queensland Mine Rehabilitation Group (CQMRG). Through this MRC-wiki it was identified that the other decision tools and knowledge management platforms and resources could be linked and made more accessible to practitioners. The objectives of the MRC-wiki are to:

· Guide users to appropriate knowledge, decision support and other management tools already available through ACARP and other sources;

· Capture the long-term knowledge of rehabilitation practitioners and stakeholders in a rehabilitation manual and discussion forum format;

· Encourage discussion and ensure the accessibility of this unpublished knowledge in perpetuity; and

· Be able to be maintained by industry groups, such as the CQMRG over time. It is also possible that the learnings from this review could inform knowledge management in other regions, commodities and disciplines, and thus have a far wider application.

 

This project was aligned with ACARP's priority area of 'environment and communities' where the aim is to help increase stakeholder confidence in the industry's ability to manage mine rehabilitation and mine closure.

 

This ACARP report is organised into four sections. They are 1) Project Summary Report, 2) Handover Package, 3) Chronological Project Development and 4) References and Acknowledgements.

 

The 'Part 1 Project summary report' was written for an AusIMM Spectrum Series Publication, 'From Start to Finish, a Life of Mine Perspective' following on from a presentation to the Life of Mine conference in 2016. This has been reproduced here with permission from AusIMM.

 

This research paper recognises there are risks associated with knowledge loss; a particularly urgent challenge for businesses with a high potential for staff fluctuations as in the Central Queensland coal mining environment. Knowledge loss and inadequate knowledge exchange means that similar tasks were being repeated at Central Queensland mine sites without the benefit of existing knowledge, due in part to industry down-turns and retirement cycles. Members of the Central Queensland Mining Group (CQMRG) recognised that there was no process to retain and make knowledge accessible for future generations of practitioners across mining environments. Consequently, CQMRG partnered with researchers at the University of Queensland to design a mechanism for capturing and sharing knowledge. Partly in response to the anticipated change in global priorities related to coal mining, the mechanism focused on capturing and sharing knowledge on mined-land rehabilitation and closure.

 

The mechanism, "Mine Rehabilitation and Closure wiki" (MRC-wiki), is designed with theory and methods used by similarly composed academic-industry partnerships capturing scientific and environmental knowledge. Knowledge management theory highlights the need to use methods that motivate individuals to share their knowledge and participate voluntarily in a knowledge sharing process. Consequently, the research team gathered original data about mine rehabilitation and closure practices primarily via face-to-face workshops and interviews, supplemented by email correspondence and telephone interviews.

 

This paper provides insights into the development of the research project, the challenges encountered and solutions trialled. The research findings are likely to have relevance to other areas of mining-related knowledge requiring careful management of knowledge. If practitioners are going to build on past learnings, and if the industry, as a whole, is committed to demonstrating continual improvement over time, building knowledge sharing platforms such as the MRC-wiki will help the mining sector maintain its commitment to meeting both good practice and community expectations.

 

The 'Part 2 Handover Package' was written to provide support to the CQMRG as they take over the role of managing the MRC-wiki. The handover package includes editing and moderation guidelines for the CQMRG, including roles and responsibilities to assist the group in maintaining the wiki as it continues to have its content expanded by the practitioner network. System architecture and administration is also described. The security details themselves were handed over in a secure manner to the CQMRG, but are not included in this report as this report is publicly available. An additional Wiki Administrator's help file is also provided.

 

'Part 3 Chronological Project Development' provides an overview of the stages of the project, in particular the engagement process which informed the development of the wiki. Two CQMRG meeting workshops were hosted as well as several Sustainable Minerals Industry-hosted workshops to provide foundational content for the MRC-wiki. The content, structure, themes and templates to facilitate content building were developed through these engagement processes. Finally, Part 4 References and Acknowledgements includes those elements of relevance to all four parts of the report.

 

Having addressed each of the objectives of the MRC-wiki ACARP project, the tool is now ready for use by the CQMRG. The next step is for that Network of Knowledge to sustain and expand the tool through engagement with its members and a working group of active participants. A foundation of knowledge and a tool to support it has been built, and is ready to be expanded with new articles, discussion on existing content as well as the addition of new links as relevant references externally are linked through this platform.

Underground

Health and safety, productivity and environment initiatives.

Recently Completed Projects

C34019Longwall Bretby Cable Handling Monitoring With Fibre Optics

This project examined the potential of using fibre optic sensing tec...

C27049Mine Machine Radar Sensor Integration

The aim of this project was to develop an integrated radar sensor an...

C29007Innovative Coal Burst System To Investigate The Influence Of Confinement Loss And Pre-Conditioning On Coal Burst Mechanism

The challenges associated with designing and operating a safe and pr...

Underground

Open Cut

Safety, productivity and the right to operate are priorities for open cut mine research.

Recently Completed Projects

C28035Topsoil Deficits In Site Rehabilitation Accelerated Transformation Of Spoils To Functional Soils

The incorporation of commercial biological amendments (compost, worm...

C34036Tyre Handler Testing Rig Stage 2: Lifting Trials

Tyre handling is a major source of risk in surface mining operations...

C29052Autonomous Water Pressure Sensors For Spoil Dumps And Dams

The geotechnical integrity and stability of a mine spoil dump or tai...

Open Cut

Coal Preparation

Maximising throughput and yield while minimising costs and emissions.

Coal Preparation

Technical Market Support

Market acceptance and emphasising the advantages of Australian coals.

Recently Completed Projects

C34060In-Situ Investigation Of Coke Structure Formation Under Stamp Charged Coking Conditions

Stamp charged cokemaking has emerged as an effective technique to im...

C34062Improving The Classification Of Microstructure Distribution In Coke CT Images Using Deep Learning And Lineal Path Calculations

This project builds on a number of earlier projects that have helped...

C29071Source Of Variability Of Reactivity Of Coke In The CSR Test

The Coke Strength after Reaction (CSR) test is used worldwide to det...

Technical Market Support

Mine Site Greenhouse Gas Mitigation

Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from the production of coal.

Recently Completed Projects

C28076Selective Absorption Of Methane By Ionic Liquids (SAMIL)

This third and final stage of this project was the culmination of a ...

C29069Low-Cost Catalyst Materials For Effective VAM Catalytic Oxidation

Application of ventilation air methane (VAM) thermal oxidiser requir...

C23052Novel Stone Dust Looping Process For Ventilation Air Methane Abatement

This multi‐phase project is concerned with the mitigation of m...

Mine Site Greenhouse Gas Mitigation

Low Emission Coal Use

Step-change technologies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Recently Completed Projects

C17060BGasification Of Australian Coals

Four Australian coals were trialled in the Siemens 5 MWth pilot scale ga...

C17060AOxyfuel Technology For Carbon Capture And Storage Critical Clean Coal Technology - Interim Support

The status of oxy-fuel technology for first-generation plant is indicate...

C18007Review Of Underground Coal Gasification

This report consists of a broad review of underground coal gasification,...

Low Emission Coal Use

Mining And The Community

The relationship between mines and the local community.

Recently Completed Projects

C16027Assessing Housing And Labour Market Impacts Of Mining Developments In Bowen Basin Communities

The focus of this ACARP-funded project has been to identify a number...

C22029Understanding And Managing Cumulative Impacts Of Coal Mining And Other Land Uses In Regions With Diversified Economies

The coal industry operates in the context of competing land-uses that sh...

C23016Approval And Planning Assessment Of Black Coal Mines In NSW And Qld: A Review Of Economic Assessment Techniques

This reports on issues surrounding economic assessment and analysis ...

Mining And The Community

NERDDC

National Energy Research,Development & Demonstration Council (NERDDC) reports - pre 1992.

Recently Completed Projects

1609-C1609Self Heating of Spoil Piles from Open Cut Coal Mines

Self Heating of Spoil Piles from Open Cut Coal Mines

1301-C1301Stress Control Methods for Optimised Development...

Stress Control Methods for Optimised Development and Extraction Operations

0033-C1356Commissioned Report: Australian Thermal Coals...

Commissioned Report: Australian Thermal Coals - An Industry Handbook

NERDDC