Centre for Water in the Minerals Industry (CWiMI)
The Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland
CWiMI is committed to supporting and improving the environmental performance of the mining sector through:
- Capacity building, professional development, technical support and independent reviews, capitalising on the knowledge and practices that have improved over the last 20 years
- A continuing focus on technical cutting-edge research integrating multiple disciplines, providing “one-stop-shop” solutions to the environmental management challenges of the mining and minerals industry
- A unique approach to the development of sustainability strategies, which draws from research on high reliability organisations, outlining the importance of incorporating environmental performance in the collective mindset of the industry.
Our technical disciplines include hydrology, hydrogeology, soil hydrology, geochemistry, water resource engineering, spatial science, data science, climate science and aquatic ecology.
- Website
- https://smi.uq.edu.au/cwimi
- Organisation type
-
- University research centre
- Number of research staff
- Up to 20 research staff
- Address
- Sustainable Minerals Institute, Sir James Foots Building 47A, St Lucia QLD 4072
Strengths and capabilities
- hydrology
- hydrogeology
- soil hydrology
- geochemistry
- water resource engineering
- spatial science
- data science
- climate science
- aquatic ecology
- modelling
- erosion and sediment export.
Facilities and major equipment
- Environmental field-scale facility at Pinjarra Hills.
Lead researchers
- Professor Claire Côte—international expert in mine water and environmental management and part of the Leading for High Reliability Centre at UQ.
- Professor Neil McIntyre—focus on water resource systems modelling, impacts of mining on water resources, remote sensing applications in hydrology, stochastic hydrology and climate change.
- Associate Professor Mansour Edraki—research focus on understanding and predicting the source, transformations and fate of contaminants, particularly acid and metalliferous drainage (AMD), in mining.
- Dr Robynne Chrystal—research focuson developing novel solutions for the sustainable management of water and associated aquatic ecosystems.
- Dr Louisa Rochford—interest in the sustainable management of water resources in the mining industry, with expertise in environmental impact assessment.
Achievements of the centre
- 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
- Develop and validate technical guidelines to improve erosion and sediment control management in Great Barrier Reef catchments
- In conjunction with the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA), developed a water accounting framework to standardise water reporting in the mining industry
- CWiMIs one of the only research groups that applies High Reliability Organisational (HRO) thinking to enhance sustainability outcomes.
Key science sectors
More information about the sectors this centre is involved in:
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