From mine to wine: creative uses for old holes in the ground(2)

Underground salt mines in Poland have been used as wedding and dining venues. Moldova is home to a wine cellar in an old limestone mine, and in Italy there is a cheese store in an old copper mine.

The Zollverein Colliery in Germany has both an ice-skating rink and swimming pool nestled in the old plant. Diving and indoor ski centres have been made in underground mines in both the UK and Germany.

Open cut mines can be rehabilitated to become amphitheatres, the vast open spaces providing amazing acoustics.

The Eden Project in the UK is an environmental education facility inside an old china clay mine. The project not only considers the environment, but also provides more jobs and income than the previous mine did. The project has also increased social inclusion through education and awareness campaigns.

The Post Mining Alliance has been able to demonstrate that many of these creative rehabilitation options consider environmental concerns, long-term community needs and engagement, and provide local and national income.

Creative options address more than the environment, but consider broader aspects of sustainability, community and economics.

The Australian approach

In Australia, we are also considering sustainable and creative options for mine rehabilitation.

Parts of the cult-film, Mad Max were filmed inside a converted mine.

Towns such as Kalgoorlie and Coober Pedy are famous for their mining history and have become popular on the tourist circuit.

The Woodlawn bioreactor at Tarago in New South Wales is situated in an old copper, zinc and lead mine. It provides alternative waste management, jobs and greener energy.

So, when recreating pre-mining environments is not possible, perhaps we should look to creative mine rehabilitation options.

If nothing else, there’s something pretty awesome about the idea of an underground hotel.