The path to unlocking new futures for mining lands and power station sites
The Net Zero Economy Authority (NZEA) has published new, nationally focused research by Urbis examining how policy, legislative, and regulatory settings influence post-closure mining and power station land use outcomes across Australia.
The research provides an evidence-based view of how current frameworks operate in practice, and how they support – or constrain – reuse and long-term risk management for former mining and power station sites.
Across Australia, mining sites and coal-and gas-fired power stations are reaching the end of their operational lives. As these sites close, attention has traditionally focused on rehabilitation obligations. This is now being reframed towards productive reuse opportunities.
What happens next – how the land and infrastructure are managed, how long the sites remain inactive, and how they can be reused – will shape regional net zero economies and communities for decades.
A national lens on post-closure land use
Taking a national and state- level perspective across five states, the research examines policy and regulatory settings governing the reuse of mining lands and coal- and gas-fired power stations. It explores how decisions made at, and after, closure affect environmental outcomes, workforce transition and regional land use over time.
We found that barriers to post-closure reuse are largely structural rather than technical. These include fragmented regulation across jurisdictions, long approval timeframes, inflexible land-use planning and uncertainty around residual risk. Together, these factors can delay investment and leave large sites inactive for extended periods, placing pressure on regional communities.
Big sites, big opportunities
Former mining and power station sites are of scale, well-located and connected to existing energy, transport and water infrastructure. Many sit close to regional towns and established workforces.
When managed well, these sites can support new net zero manufacturing and renewable energy technologies, create jobs and strengthen long-term regional resilience. When planning is delayed or unclear, opportunities are missed and transition impacts can be felt for years.
The research highlights the importance of early, coordinated planning that considers potential of reframing rehabilitation towards reuse, future sustainable and economic land use opportunities, workforce transition and investment pathways together. Progressive rehabilitation and staged transitions can reduce long-term risks while providing greater certainty for communities and investors.
Communities and place at the centre
A consistent message from stakeholder consultations was the need for early and ongoing engagement with communities and First Nations peoples, including Traditional Owners.
Workforce transition planning must recognise existing skills and provide realistic pathways into new industries. Place-based approaches, grounded in local conditions and priorities, are critical to ensuring post-closure outcomes are practical, inclusive, and durable.
From policy barriers to pathways forward
The research identifies several areas where reform and coordination could improve post-closure outcomes, including:
- stronger alignment across Commonwealth and state governments
- clearer and more consistent regulatory pathways
- more flexible land-use planning frameworks
- closer alignment between policy settings, investment decisions and community outcomes.
Recent moves by governments to begin early reuse planning for major sites, such as Mt Arthur and the Lake Macquarie region in New South Wales, demonstrate the value of coordinated, forward-looking approaches.
A multidisciplinary Urbis team delivered the research, with specialist contribution support from Norton Rose Fulbright on legislation, regulation and policy, and Indigenous Energy Australia, including engagement with First Nations perspectives on post-closure land use.
