Dr Karin Fogarty
Project Manager, Technical Services, Georesources Division, Department of Resources
With over 15 years’ operational experience in the mining industry within Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, Karin has worked on a diverse range of technical issues and projects which covers complex post-mine transition challenges and opportunities such as: active and future economic transitions in mining regions, social dimensions of mine closure, First Nations inclusion, re-commercialisation and beneficial post-mining land use opportunities.
Karin has a PhD in environmental economics from the University of Western Australia. The study explored community preferences and attitudes toward mine rehabilitation and post-mining land use options of coalmines in New South Wales. A choice experiment was used to estimate the non-market values held for mine rehabilitation outcomes using a case study of a coal mine in the Central Tablelands of NSW.
Ensuring community safety by eliminating or reducing hazards at abandoned mine sites
Mining remains a cornerstone of Queensland's history for over 150 years, leaving a legacy of abandoned mines. These pose potential risks to community health, safety, and the environment.
Key takeaways:
- Curtailing adverse environmental impacts in the surrounding and downstream areas
- Reducing the need for continuous maintenance and monitoring
- Focusing on geotechnical and geochemical stability
- Exploring viable options for the commercialisation or repurposing of abandoned mine lands for suitable future uses