Mine Closure and the Aboriginal Estate single work   criticism  
Issue Details: First known date: 2019... 2019 Mine Closure and the Aboriginal Estate
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'Numerous large mines located on Australia's Aboriginal estate are in the process of ceasing production or will do so in the coming decade. Mine closure raises issues of enormous environmental, cultural, social and environmental significance for Aboriginal traditional owners, but these issues have to date received little systematic attention, unlike the question of whether mines should be established in the first place, or the impact on Aboriginal peoples and on country of operating mines. The commonly used term 'mine closure' belies the fact that mining projects continue to have impacts for decades, and in some cases for generations, after mineral extraction ceases. We highlight this reality, drawing on theoretical insights that stress the persistence of mine legacies and placing them in the context of wider debates about environmental and social justice. We illustrate continuing 'postclosure' impacts on traditional owners and the Aboriginal estate. These impacts are unlikely to be addressed through Australia's entirely inadequate regulatory system for mine rehabilitation, or through negotiated Aboriginal-industry agreements, many of which fail to deal with closure issues. Against this background we highlight the need for systematic research on the effects of mine closure on Aboriginal peoples in Australia; for a radical overhaul of Australia's regulatory system, in part to afford a central role to Aboriginal traditional owners; and for mine closure to be afforded a substantial focus in future agreements governing the development of new mines on the Aboriginal estate.' (Author's abstract)

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  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon Australian Aboriginal Studies no. 2 2019 16848945 2019 periodical issue 'Are we nearly there? ‘Aboriginal disadvantage’ may soon become an outmoded term that represents an obsolete concept. Guided by decades of collaborative research that pointed out the consequences of pathologising identities using a discourse of deficit — and which spelled out the positives of adopting an alternative approach — the public discourse about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is finally beginning to change. The term ‘Indigenous excellence’ was created to draw thinking away from deficit towards a strengths-based approach. The new term provoked much-needed new thinking. The change is a testament to the persistence and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have for decades committed to the promise of research. The change happened because generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices focused on changing the discourse about our peoples. Policymakers and service providers are now finally changing the narrative and turning away from the concept of disadvantage to focus on strengths-based approaches.' (Editorial introduction) 2019 pg. 65-81
Last amended 12 Oct 2020 15:53:46
65-81 Mine Closure and the Aboriginal Estatesmall AustLit logo Australian Aboriginal Studies
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