Kishan Reddy Visits Australia's Scenic World, Eyes Post-Mining Model
Synopsis
Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy visited Scenic World in New South Wales, Australia — a former coal site turned tourist attraction — and signalled it as a model for productive post-mining land use in India, tagging key ministries in the post.
Key Takeaways
Kishan Reddy , Union Coal and Mines Minister, visited Scenic World in New South Wales, Australia on October 28, 2026 .
Scenic World is a former coal mining site now operating as a major tourist destination with cable cars, scenic railways, and walking trails.
The minister explicitly linked the visit to 'productive post-mining land use,' tagging the Ministries of External Affairs, Mines, and Coal along with the High Commission in Canberra.
India's National Mineral Policy 2019 mandates scientific mine closure plans; revised guidelines are under development with pilot projects in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh .
India currently mines over 900 million tonnes of coal annually , with hundreds of ageing mine concessions requiring rehabilitation planning.
The visit aligns with broader Indian government efforts to study international models for repurposing exhausted coal sites.
A decommissioned coal site in the mountains of New South Wales, Australia, just handed Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy a compelling blueprint — one India's exhausted coalfields may soon need to follow. On Wednesday, October 28, 2026, the minister visited Scenic World, a former mining precinct turned thriving tourist hub, complete with cable car rides, forest walking trails, and panoramic viewpoints that draw visitors from across the globe.
From Pit to Panorama: What Scenic World Showed the Minister
Scenic World, nestled in the Blue Mountains region of New South Wales, sits on terrain that once supplied coal to Australian industry. Today, the site operates one of the steepest scenic railways in the world, attracts millions of visitors annually, and stands as one of the most cited examples of productive post-mining land transformation globally. For Reddy, the visit was clearly a study in what is possible — not what has already been decided back home.
Posting four photographs from the site, the minister wrote that 'such transformations highlight the potential for productive post-mining land use,' tagging the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of Mines, the Ministry of Coal, and the High Commission of India in Canberra. The deliberate tagging signals that the observation is meant to travel through official channels, not just social media.
India's Mine Closure Challenge — and the Rules Catching Up
India's coal sector is vast and ageing. Thousands of hectares of land across Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and West Bengal sit in various stages of excavation, depletion, and abandonment. The policy architecture meant to address this has been evolving — the National Mineral Policy 2019 mandated scientific mine closure plans and progressive rehabilitation of mined land. Older provisions under the Coal Mines (Conservation and Development) Act had already introduced the concept of escrow-funded restoration, but implementation has been uneven.
The Ministry of Coal has been working on revised mine closure guidelines, with pilot rehabilitation projects under discussion for coalfield districts. The pressure is both ecological — degraded land, subsidence, acid drainage — and economic, as mining-dependent communities face dislocation when extraction ends. The Scenic World visit fits squarely into this search for proven international models.
Why Australia — and Why Now
New South Wales has a coal history that mirrors India's in several ways: large open-cut and underground operations, strong union traditions, and now a state-level transition away from fossil fuel dependence. Australian regulators have accumulated decades of practice in post-mining rehabilitation, environmental bonding requirements, and alternative land-use planning. That institutional knowledge is precisely what Indian policymakers say they need as domestic coal output continues while newer mines open and older ones close.
Reddy's use of the hashtags #MineClosure and #CoalAndMines makes the policy intent explicit. This is not a tourism post. It is, in effect, a minister sending a message to his own ministries: look at what land can become after coal.
India mines over 900 million tonnes of coal annually — a number still rising — but the clock is already ticking on hundreds of older concessions. What India decides to do with those sites will shape the landscape, livelihoods, and legacy of the coal era. One cable car ride in the Blue Mountains may not rewrite that policy, but it sharpened the question the minister brought home.
Point of View
Overhauling India's under-implemented mine closure and rehabilitation framework. By tagging both Coal and Mines ministries alongside External Affairs, he is creating an official paper trail that connects the domestic policy challenge to international best practice. The timing matters: as India's energy transition narrative intensifies globally, being seen as a responsible steward of post-mining landscapes has both domestic legitimacy value and international diplomatic currency. Whether the visit translates into binding closure-and-rehabilitation mandates with teeth — rather than aspirational circulars — will be the real test.
NationPress
28 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Scenic World in Australia and why did Kishan Reddy visit it?
Scenic World is a former coal mining site in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia, now a major tourist destination featuring cable cars, a scenic railway, and forest trails. Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy visited it on October 28, 2026, to study it as a model for productive post-mining land use applicable to India's ageing coalfields.
What is India's current policy on mine closure and land rehabilitation?
The National Mineral Policy 2019 mandates scientific mine closure plans and progressive rehabilitation of mined land. Earlier provisions under the Coal Mines (Conservation and Development) Act introduced escrow-funded restoration requirements, though implementation across states has been uneven. Revised guidelines are under development.
Which Indian states have the most exhausted or ageing coal mines needing rehabilitation?
States such as Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and West Bengal have large concentrations of ageing and depleted coal concessions, making them the primary focus of India's mine closure and rehabilitation planning efforts.
How much coal does India produce annually?
India mines over 900 million tonnes of coal annually, making it one of the largest coal producers in the world. Many older mines in this system are approaching end-of-life, raising urgent questions about post-mining land use.
Why is Australia relevant to India's mine rehabilitation policy?
New South Wales and other Australian states have decades of experience in post-mining rehabilitation, including environmental bonding requirements and alternative land-use planning. This institutional knowledge is seen as directly applicable to India's evolving mine closure framework.
