Engaging stakeholders to achieve rehabilitation completion: A case study of the BHP Beenup Project

In 2018, 19 years after closure, rehabilitation of the former Beenup Titanium Minerals Project has achieved regulatory sign-off against the 21 Completion Criteria agreed with stakeholders. The project, located in the southwest of Western Australia closed prematurely in April 1999 after only two years of operation. Stakeholder concerns for the rehabilitation of the site were high and the technical challenges complex, given the post-mine environment comprised deep dredge ponds, clay tailings disposal dams and disturbed acid sulphate soils, in an environment upstream of two rivers and a national park. The site today comprises a network of wetlands, integrated with the local drainage system and surrounded by a diverse mix of native vegetation. The Beenup Consultative Group, formed 10 years prior to closure, played an integral part in the planning, design and oversight of rehabilitation and remains active. The site is now transitioning, with continued stakeholder input, to a monitoring and relinquishment phase requiring only minimal resources to ensure that the project tenements continue to meet statutory obligations and that design features are not compromised. Much has been learned in progressing to this advanced stage of the closure process. Key lessons learned, particularly the value of effective stakeholder engagement throughout the planning, implementation and assessment phases of a closure project are presented in this paper.