Abandoned mine clusters and their intersection with Indigenous peoples’ land rights in Australia

Empirical research on the intersection of Indigenous peoples and abandoned mines has primarily focused on the impacts of individual, large-scale mines in the settler states of Australia, Canada and the United States. In contrast, research on the extent and effects of dense clusters of relatively small, abandoned mines has been largely overlooked. Australia has 50,000+ abandoned mines and their overlap with Indigenous peoples' legally recognised rights to land has not been mapped or quantified. This study presents a novel methodology to map and quantify this intersection using the state of Queensland as a case study. Through spatial data and document analysis, we find that 54.8 % of Queensland's abandoned mines are located where Indigenous peoples have rights to land and we identify five dense clusters that warrant further examination. Our findings provide an empirical basis for regulators, mining companies, land use planners and Indigenous communities to address significant policy and practice shortcomings. Recognising abandoned mines as a pressing governance challenge—not merely a historical remnant—is a crucial step towards advancing environmental sustainability, Indigenous land justice, and equitable land management.