Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Large-scale mine site restoration
of Australian eucalypt forests after
bauxite mining: soil management
and ecosystem development
MARK TIBBETT
Introduction
Mining is essential to provide the resources for modern industrial societies but
can result in a catastrophic destruction of pre-mining ecosystems. In Australia,
these are often natural ecosystems, commonly pristine and with significant
endemism in the flora and fauna. In all cases, the mining of bauxite ore in
Australia occurs in areas covered by eucalypt forests or openwoodland. Fivemajor
bauxite mines are in operation in Australia and these are (from NE to SW) Weipa
(Rio Tinto) where the natural vegetation is an open Eucalyptus tetradonta (Darwin
Stringybark) woodland, Gove (Rio Tinto), a mixed E. tetradonta and E. miniata
woodland (both adjacent to the Gulf of Carpentaria) and Huntly, Willowdale
(Alcoa) and Boddington (Worsley) mining in the unique E. marginata ( Jarrah) forest
region of Western Australia (
Fig. 15.1
).
Bauxite mining is an important economic activity for Australia, and it is an
industry in which it leads the world. Australia is the world's largest bauxite
producer, mining 40% of the world's bauxite ore. Australia's aluminium ind-
ustry is worth over $7.8 billion (in 2004) in export earnings and employs over
16 000 people directly and many more in associated service industries. Australia
has, therefore, made the decision to sacrifice some of its unique forested areas in
order to maintain economic prosperity for its people.
In order to minimise the negative effect of bauxite mining, typically a form
of strip mining or open cast mining, stringent measures (including financial
instruments) have been put in place by the state and federal governments
whereby the mining companies are required to restore the natural forest into
sustainable ecosystems that reflects the original forest prior to mining as much
as possible. As mining results in such a catastrophic destruction of the entire
terrestrial ecosystems, including the regolith and associated hydrology, there is
