Glencore is progressing one of Australia’s largest coal rehabilitation projects at its Newlands operation in Queensland, marking the next phase of the site’s transition after four decades of mining activity.
Located 150km west of Mackay, Newlands began operating in 1983 and produced around 229 million tonnes of thermal and steelmaking coal during its operational life. The operation included 25 open-cut pits, two underground mines and two coal preparation plants before reaching the end of its scheduled economic mine life in 2023.
Since transitioning into rehabilitation and closure, Glencore has invested more than $330 million in restoration activities, with 614 hectares of rehabilitation already certified by the Queensland Government.
Glencore Newlands project manager Nick Baillieu said the rehabilitation program represents an opportunity to demonstrate how mined land can be returned to productive use following the completion of operations.
“With this rehabilitation project, we aim to demonstrate that while mining operations have a temporary impact on the land, successful rehabilitation can return this land to productive pasture or high-quality native woodland,” Baillieu said.
The company has released a documentary, ‘Back to the bottle tree’, showcasing the scale of the rehabilitation work, as well as the planning and long-term execution required to complete mine closure activities.
Baillieu said the documentary also recognises the contribution of the workforce involved in both mining and rehabilitation.
“The same workers who made this coal mine a success are also now involved in its rehabilitation and closure,” he said.
The Newlands operation spans 15 mining leases covering more than 32,000 hectares, an area equivalent to more than 42,000 soccer fields.
Former Newlands employee Stuart Clark said the rehabilitation process demonstrated the potential to return mined land to previous uses.
“You can come in, take the resources that we need for everyday life and when it’s finished, it’s going to be used for cattle land, like it was prior to being mined,” Clark said.
Glencore said the Newlands rehabilitation program represents the final stage of the mine’s lifecycle, with the company aiming to leave behind a restored landscape following 40 years of operation.