ACG Mine Closure 2026 brings together mining professionals, technical specialists, researchers, regulators, and community stakeholders to discuss practical approaches to responsible mine closure. Hosted by the Australian Centre for Geomechanics, this year’s conference will explore current and emerging closure challenges, including closure planning, financing, stakeholder engagement, relinquishment, landform and engineering design, water and erosion management, ecosystem reconstruction, statutory compliance, remediation, and legacy management. 

ERM at the event 

ERM will be represented at ACG Mine Closure 2026 by multiple subject matter experts across mine closure, rehabilitation, groundwater, contaminated land, and asset retirement obligations. Our team will be presenting a series of technical papers, sharing practical insights from complex closure projects and engaging with industry peers on the evolving challenges and opportunities shaping responsible mine closure. We will also have a booth at the event, so please drop by, say hello, and connect with our delegates and speakers.

Technical Papers and Presentations 

1. Internally Draining Rehabilitation: Lessons from Several Decades of Experience at Newlands Coal Mine 
Chris Gimber 
Session 2A: Surface Water and Erosion Control | Thursday, 17 September | 11:00 AM  

2. Planning and Executing Large-Scale Mine Rehabilitation: The Newlands Coal Mine Experience 
Chris Gimber; Chris Mann 
Session 2B: Statutory Compliance | Thursday, 17 September | 11:45 AM  

3. From Plan to Practice: Evidence-Based Verification of Mine Rehabilitation 
Chris Gimber 
Session 4B: Statutory Compliance | Tuesday, 15 September | 4:35 PM  

4. Determining the Vulnerability of Asset Retirement Obligations Across the Mining Sector 
Paul Hesketh 
Session 2B: Financing and Cost Estimation | Tuesday, 15 September | 12:20 PM  

5. Optimising Closure Cover Design in Semi-Arid Environments Through Percolation Modelling and Pilot Trials 
Mertcan Ozbakir; Paul Hesketh 
Session 2C: Landform Engineering and Design | Wednesday, 16 September | 12:20 PM  

6. Contaminated Site Assessment Strategies to Address Mine Closure Planning Challenges 
Dana Windle; Tamie Weaver; Dora Kovacsy 
Session 3C: Containment Remediation and Impact Management | Tuesday, 15 September | 2:50 PM 

7. Groundwater Modelling for Mine Closure Planning 
Rikito Gresswell 

Contact us  

Aimee Stephenson, National Business Manager 

aimee.stephenson@erm.com

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