Mining boom clean-up could cost taxpayers billions, says Australia Institute

Report says mine sites may not be able to be successfully rehabilitated and warns of 'big liabilities'

A scarcity of information about disused mine sites is leaving the public in the dark on the clean-up costs from New South Wales' mining boom, a new report has found.

The report, released by the Australia Institute on Wednesday, attempted to analyse what was happening to operating, suspended, closed, rehabilitated, or abandoned mine sites across the state.