Coal mining operations have existed in this area for well over 150 years and open cut mining commenced in the 1940s. Since then substantial areas of land have been disturbed by mining. The majority of this land remains un-rehabilitated and a major land management issue. 

With continued urban expansion of both Brisbane and Ipswich, pressure on land resources and scrutiny of land management will increase. For the Ipswich area, this scrutiny will not be limited to a few thousand local residents, but will come from a rapidly growing urban area containing almost 2 million people in one of Australia’s largest cities, making the study area unusual in the Australian context. Inevitably, social, environmental, political and economic pressures will continue to grow. 

The objective of this research is to develop rehabilitation scenarios for legacy coal mining areas in the Ipswich district that take account of pre-existing natural systems, ecosystem sustainability, post-mining technical limitations, appropriate post-mining land uses, long-term management requirements and stakeholder input. The successful development of sustainable, final land use planning options for this type of contested area will provide useful tools and information for other mining operations and facilitate evaluation of the capacity for improved value through sustainable development.