Wiki to make mine site closure easier

The tricky and expensive task of accessing knowledge on rehabilitating and preparing to close mining sites has been eased by an online resource developed by University of Queensland (UQ) scientists and Central Queensland coal mine rehabilitation experts.

As explained by Corinne Unger, from the UQ Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, “The retirement or transfer of experienced rehabilitation and closure staff from a mining region creates a massive knowledge vacuum for the mining community.

“MRC-Wiki is a knowledge-sharing platform to capture and share experiences of people working on mine rehabilitation and closure in the coalfields of Central Queensland.”

The project has involved a team with expertise in mine site rehabilitation, closure planning, information technology and social science. Central Queensland Mine Rehabilitation Group Chairman Stuart Ritchie said the group had been concerned about losing knowledge in such an important area.

“The wiki is open to the public and we encourage users to register and add content,” he said.

“Ideally, it will become a leading go-to place for information now and into the future.”

MRC-Wiki can be accessed at http://mrcwiki.org.au/bin/view/Main/. The project was funded by the Australian Coal Association Research Program.

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