Restoration Blueprint
Conceptualisation, methodology, research, data analysis, co-author, editing, visualisation.
Report created with Hunter Renewal, community, and local academics. The work revealed priorities for managing the massive, landscape wide challenge of post-mining land use in the Hunter.
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The Blueprint series of workshops was conceived in mid 2022 by myself and Dan from Hunter Renewal to engage communities in post-mining land use planning (PMLU). The catalyst was the publication of economic modelling from EY that found there was compelling predictions for jobs and economic opportunities if mine rehabilitation was done right. While this vision was attractive, there was no pathway set by EY to achieving it. The community’s voice was also missing from this vision.
The whole project was aimed at learning alongside local community and local academics about their concerns and their preferences for how the Hunter should proceed with post-mining land use planning, and then translating those concerns into pragmatic recommendations and principles that could be actioned upon by government.
The final set of principles and recommendations can be seen below or read on this page (text only).
The report has been used by Hunter Renewal to advocate for an review of mine rehabilitation regulations. Following its publication, the NSW Government have opened an inquiry regarding post-mining land use (to which I made a submission), and have also belatedly published a website that tracks the progress of individual mine rehabilitation. This demonstrates how grassroots organisations are able to shape the public agenda through more effective and meaningful community engagement.
