A techno-economic study of post-mining land use options for the Bowen Basin

The research project aims to investigate potential development of a decision-making tool for mining companies to plan Post-Mining Land Use (PMLU) options based on technical feasibility and cost-benefit analysis, for economic prosperity and environmental sustainability of mining regions. The prototype tool will be based on data collected for the Moranbah region but will be applicable to other mining regions.

Specific objectives are to investigate the range of technical and social data from mining and non-mining sources relevant to PMLU and regional development to better understand the gaps in data and how they should be collected, to determine the parameters that will quantify the benefits of different scenarios for regional implementation of PMLUs, to establish a modelling platform to predict and analyse the benefits of different scenarios for regional implementation of PMLU and to demonstrate the applicability of the platform to derive a business case for preferred regional implementation of PMLU options.

Biography

Pajani holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) majoring in Chemical Engineering from The University of Queensland. He has experience working in mining research investigating comminution efficiency, selective breakage and enhanced coarse liberation. Pajani also worked in nanotechnology research assisting in solar cell development and nano-paper synthesis.

Membership

Engineers Australia, Society of Petroleum Engineers.

Funding

1. Queensland Resources Council - Coal Minesite Rehabilitation Trust Fund Scholarship.

2. UQ Research Training Scholarship.

Supervisor Associate Professor Claire Côte (Principal Advisor), & Associate Professor Mansour Edraki (Associate Advisor)