Out of Sight, Out of Mind

In South Australia's north lies an alien landscape - scarred by more than a century of mining. The huge site desperately needs further rehabilitation but, in this week's episode, we detail allegations of regulatory failure in relation to this and many other mine sites across the country.   For almost 150 years, the hills of Mount Gunson have been mined for copper – a metal integral to South Australia’s modern history and increasingly important for the world’s electrified future. The huge site – south of Woomera – has passed through many hands over the time, with mining companies riding numerous copper booms, making their money and moving on. Today, Mount Gunson’s mining past has left huge scars on the country – the legacy of 50,000 trucks’ worth of copper being pulled out of this epic landscape. We’ve been told this is a classic case study in a worrying phenomenon across Australia – a mining landscape left largely unrehabilitated. Joining us on the podcast this week is CityMag reporter Angela Skujins and RMIT researcher Gavin Mudd. Angela Skujins' story on Mount Gunson is in the summer 2022 print edition of CityMag. To find your nearest outlet to pick up a free copy, go here. To find out more about Gavin Mudd's research, go here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.