A review of revegetation at mine sites in the Alligator Rivers Region, Northern Territory, and the development of a state and transition model for ecological restoration at Ranger uranium mine

Society's expectations for mining operations are that they are undertaken using the principles of sustainable development. Numerous mines have been 'rehabilitated' in past decades without clear closure criteria or regulatory oversight and are characterised by less than desirable environmental outcomes. These sites provide us with information and data (in some instances) to inform future mine site restoration efforts and the sustainable development of mining resources. However, this information and data are often contained in inaccessible grey literature or have been lost over time. We used records and data on revegetation efforts and outcomes at mine sites in and around the Alligator Rivers Region (ARR) of the Northern Territory, Australia, to demonstrate the extent and currency of rehabilitation knowledge. There have been 20 mines in the region since 1950 and we found that these sites are in various deviated ecological states and that data for these mines were generally unavailable or unable to be located. A number of studies have been conducted at the largest operation, Ranger uranium mine, and there is also information from Nabarlek and South Alligator River Valley mines. We furthered the understanding of the system using available information to develop a preliminary state and transition model for eucalypt-dominated ecosystems in the region. The identification of likely desired and undesired ecological states and management requirements developed in this model could be used to actively guide future restoration and research efforts, particularly at Ranger uranium mine. Based on the lessons learned from the mine sites in the ARR, we provide recommendations for monitoring revegetation in the future.