Centre for Environmental Responsibility in Mining (CMLR)
The Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland
Formerly known as Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation
Research at the Centre for Environmental Responsibility in Mining (CERM) is shaped by the environmental and water challenges facing the mining and gas sectors. The centre's capabilities continually evolve to meet the changing needs of industry, government, and communities, which ensures the work remains relevant, impactful, and future-focused.
The centre recognises that environmental and water related issues rarely exist in isolation, but intersect with other areas of operations and community engagement. CERM's research addresses these complexities through an integrated and multidisciplinary approach that combines technical depth with applied problem-solving. CERM's research informs policy, guides best practice, and supports sustainable outcomes across diverse mining contexts.
- Website
- https://smi.uq.edu.au/cerm
- Organisation type
-
- University Research Centre
- Number of research staff
- 20-100 research staff
- Address
- The Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Sir James Foots Building (47A), St Lucia QLD 4072
Strengths and capabilities
- Ecological engineering of mine wastes (tailings, waste rocks and spoils) for sustainable rehabilitation and closure
- Chemical engineering of mine wastes for environmental remediation
- Phytotechnology for mineral extraction and environmental remediation
- Eco-engineering of landforms, landscapes and ecosystem structure
- Environmental geochemistry for sustainable water and tailings management
- Environmental monitoring and ecosystem management using spatial technology
- Planning mine closure at mine-site and regional scales.
- Accounting and managing water resources for sustainable mining and regional development
- Hydrology and hydrogeology in mined landscapes and surrounding regions
- Aquatic system biology and ecology in mined environments
Facilities and major equipment
- Soil and water laboratory
- Ecology laboratory
- Sample preparation laboratory
- Geohydrology laboratory
- Herbarium
- Mine site-compliant vehicle fleet
- Field research equipment
- access to analytical and microscopy services and glasshouse facilities.
- Environmental field-scale facility at Pinjarra Hills
Lead researchers
- Professor Doug Aitken is the director of the Centre for Environmental Responsibility in Mining.
- Professor Mansour Edraki leads the Environmental Geochemistry research group.
- Professor Peter Erskine, leads the Ecosystem Assessment, Restoration and Resilience research group.
- Professor Longbin Huang leads the Ecological Engineering in Mining research group.
- Professor Neil McIntyre leads the Regional Water & Land Resources research group.
- Associate Professor Barry Noller leads the Contaminant Management in Mining research group.
- Associate Professor Evelyn Mervine leads the Carbon & Climate research group
Achievements of the centre
- SMI Scientists Secure Over $1m For Red Mud Research
- Leafy vegetables identified as potential metal mining tools
- From coal mines to solar farms: a renewable future for Queensland's Bowen Basin
- Developing new ways to monitor mine waste using drones and ground sensors
- Developed participatory planning framework to maximise the benefits of shared water infrastructure in water-scarce mining regions
Key science sectors
More information about the sectors this centre is involved in:
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