According to the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources, mine rehab (rehabilitation) is “the process used to repair the impacts of mining on the environment. Mine rehabilitation can also be referred to as coal mine rehabilitation, land rehabilitation, mine site rehabilitation or mine site restoration.

According to the Minerals Council of Australia, there are several different types of mine rehabilitation including: cropping, conservation, grazing, and native restoration.

According to the Federal Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, there are four key factors that make up the business case for mine rehabilitation. They are: 1. Project approval 2. Compliance risk 3. Financial liability 4. Reputational risk

Several reforms were proposed in February 2018, including: A policy framework to assess final mining voids, where voids will not be considered in new major projects unless it minimises environmental, community and visual impacts and cannot be feasibly removed Requirements for new major projects to consult with the community and provide information on mine design options early in the planning process.

A new bill was introduced in August 2018 to establish a new authority to manage mine closure and rehabilitation across Victoria. These recommendations included: Marking out the rehabilitation, closure and post-closure requirements for certain mines Establishing clear responsibility for the post-closure management of rehabilitated mine land Establishing a Mine Land Rehabilitation Authority to oversee mine rehabilitation and post-closure management

On the 14 November 2018, the Queensland Parliament saw the passing of the Mineral and Energy Resources (Financial Provisioning) (MERFP) Act 2018. This reform package is aimed at improving rehabilitation (rehab) and financial assurance outcomes for the sector that aims to deliver:   Improved environmental performance Rehabilitation investment in the Queensland resources industry Better protection of the State’s financial interests