Matt Baida has recently returned from his Churchill Fellowship motivated to help design professions make headway into the world of mine reclamation. His journey saw him visit Germany, New York, the UK and South Africa where he looked at unearth the stories of mine reclamation in order to gain broader understanding of what is possible.
As
his travels progressed, he realised the importance of educating the mining
industry in the value of Landscape Architecture as a way of ensuring that the design
profession is considered as an ally of the mining industry. If you have ever heard an engineer try to
describe what a landscape architect does, you will understand why this remains
a challenge.
Matt
has gained a great deal of knowledge on the ideas and implementation of social
and creative considerations for post-mined landscapes. Such ideas and outcomes are now reshaping the future
for many communities well beyond the operating life of the mines. Matt is convinced that while these concepts are
not new, their application in Australia remains limited and is often
ignored. He now believes the challenge
is replicating and delivering community driven social reclamation throughout
the Australian mining industry.
He
would like to thank the Winston Churchill Trust for the unbelievable
opportunity and WAX Design supporting his endeavours. But most of all a special
thanks must go to all the great people he met along the way for the hospitality
and kindness they showed. A copy of his
Fellowship Report will be posted on the Trust’s website in the New Year.
