Overview
Background
Corinne seeks to understand the organizing practices and processes that gradually and invisibly create risks that can worsen over time to become catastrophic. These ‘insidious risks’ were the focus of Corinne’s PhD in the UQ Business School where she identified three ways, on a spectrum of ways these risks are managed: blinkered, law-abiding and attentive. With more than 30 years’ experience in the mining sector, government, consulting and research, Corinne built upon her earth sciences background in mine rehabilitation and closure to become a qualitative researcher through her PhD. This provided a new lens and insights on how organisations manage elongated insidious risks, not only for mine affected water and land disturbance in mining but also during the progressive failure of the insurance market for extreme weather, in her postdoctoral research. In a voluntary capacity Corinne formed and led an ISO standards working group to finalise ISO 24419 Managing Mining Legacies in 2023 providing the first international standard on this topic together with case studies and a bibliography. She represents AusIMM in her standards work. Since 2019 Corinne has been a Board Member of the Victorian Government’s Mine Land Rehabilitation Authority providing oversight for three brown coal mine closures in the Latrobe Valley. Prior to her PhD Corinne developed the field of research in managing abandoned/legacy mines in the Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, SMI following her Churchill Fellowship research in 2009.
Availability
- Dr Corinne Unger is:
- Not available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Diploma of Education & Teaching, Macquarie University
- Bachelor of Earth Sciences, Macquarie University
- Postgraduate Diploma of Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience, Macquarie University
- Doctor of Philosophy of Management Studies, The University of Queensland
Research interests
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Risk Management
Insidious risks are slow growing inconspicuous risks, socially constructed by networks of people interacting with objects. These risks can grow unseen to become potentially catastrophic. In a mining context, Corinne examined how the insidious risks of land disturbance and mine affected water are managed. This research made visible what was previously hidden so that an audit of organisational activities can detect a catastrophe in the making.
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Practice theory
Corinne applied Schatzki's practice theory to the social phenomenon of insidious risk management and continues to developed her social science expertise by applying practice and process perspectives in strategy research. Practice theory enables the complexity of social phenomena, and their dynamic and evolving nature to be captured and understood, thereby equipping managers with a means of intervening constructively and strategically.
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Abandoned /legacy mine management
There are estimated to be in excess of 50,000 abandoned mines in Australia from very small to large polluting sites with more than $2 billion in liability from these legacies in QLD and NT alone. Building upon Corinne's Churchill Fellowship research and experience as an abandoned mine manager for the Queensland government she with colleagues at the Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation developed a jurisdictional maturity model. This model provides guidance on how to successfully manage mining legacies, thus providing an implementation tool for Australia's national policy for managing abandoned mines.
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Mine rehabilitation and closure
Effective life-of-mine planning ensures there is a vision that is being implemented to achieve the post-mining landscape which is safe, stable, non-polluting and has sustainable land uses. Stakeholder participation is essential if the social connections to, and local knowledge about, mines are to be understood and incorporated into rehabilitation and closure. When regulatory requirements address only the biophysical aspects of transitioning through closure, the social dimensions are overlooked.
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Beneficial post-mining land use
Many opportunities exist in Australia for environmental and socio-economic regeneration after mining. Mining heritage conservation and its adaptive re-use have rejuvenated communities in Cornwall England and former East Germany when integrated with regenerative planning. The value of some mines in Australia have been extended via secondary mining or tourism uses, while indigenous reconciliation needs to be at the heart of mine rehabilitation and transition where mines did not have free prior and informed consent from the start, such as at the Rum Jungle legacy mine.
Research impacts
Corinne's research developed the phenomenon of insidious risk management that explains and integrates past risk management research of particular features of this type of inconspicuous and slow growing risk, formerly studied as latent, crescive, creeping, incubating and slow-developing catastrophic risk. Her doctoral research makes the less visible, visible and provides a means of detecting a catastrophe in the making so it can be intervened upon, in preference to only learning of the related activities and participants through formal inquiries that retrospectively analyse catastrophes.
Prior research reveals the dynamic and evolving practice of mine rehabilitation and closure over 40 years in Australia. Corinne's research shows how the practice is shaped by those within the organisation together with external stakeholders. Her retrosepective study also informed the Senate inquiry into 'Rehabilitation of mining and resources projects as it relates to Commonwealth responsibilities' (2019). Unger, C. J., Everingham, J., & Bond, C. J. (2020). Transition or transformation: shifting priorities and stakeholders in Australian mined land rehabilitation and closure. Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, 1-30. doi:10.1080/14486563.2020.1719440
Corinne's Churchill Fellowship research provides guidance on leading practice abandoned mine rehabilitation and post-mining land use that can be applied in Australia. With colleagues Lechner, Kenway, Glenn and Walton at the CMLR at UQ in 2015 Corinne developed a Jurisdictional maturity model for risk management accountability and continual improvement of abandoned mine remediation programs. This model provides an implementation framework for Australian governments to apply Australia's Strategic Framework for managing abandoned mines.
Works
Search Professor Corinne Unger’s works on UQ eSpace
2025
Journal Article
Valuing what you risk and risking what you value: Advancing a research agenda for risk studies
Jarzabkowski, Paula, Unger, Corinne J. and Meissner, Katie (2025). Valuing what you risk and risking what you value: Advancing a research agenda for risk studies. Organization Studies, 46 (1), 121-139. doi: 10.1177/01708406241290038
2023
Other Outputs
Extremist movements in Australia: a study of individual ideology
Jarzabkowski, Paula, Unger, Corinne and Meissner, Katie (2023). Extremist movements in Australia: a study of individual ideology. Brisbane, QLD Australia: The University of Queensland.
2023
Other Outputs
Home insurance bills are soaring as climate risks grow. The government should step in
Jarzabkowski, Paula, Unger, Corinne and Meissner, Katie (2023, 08 18). Home insurance bills are soaring as climate risks grow. The government should step in The Conversation
2023
Conference Publication
Repairing the past: tensions in a cross-sector partnership between a scripted stakeholder engagement process and future-making
Jarzabkowski, Paula, Meissner, Katie and Unger, Corinne (2023). Repairing the past: tensions in a cross-sector partnership between a scripted stakeholder engagement process and future-making. 39th EGOS Colloquium, Cagliari, Italy, 6-8 July 2023.
2023
Other Outputs
Is the social legitimacy of protest in Australia in flux?
Jarzabkowski, Paula, Unger, Corinne and Meissner, Katie (2023). Is the social legitimacy of protest in Australia in flux?. Brisbane: The University of Queensland Business School.
2022
Journal Article
Australia’s new Cyclone Reinsurance Pool: Implications for insurance in a climate changed future
Jarzabkowski, Paula, Meissner, Katie and Unger, Corinne (2022). Australia’s new Cyclone Reinsurance Pool: Implications for insurance in a climate changed future. Australian Environment Review, 37 (3), 43-45.
2022
Conference Publication
Changing perceptions of protests in Australia: between legitimacy and stigmatisation
Unger, Corinne J., Jarzabkowski, Paula and Meissner, Katie (2022). Changing perceptions of protests in Australia: between legitimacy and stigmatisation. Intelligence International 2022: collaboration in a complex and uncertain world, Melbourne, Australia, 25-27 October 2022.
2022
Conference Publication
Managing insidious risk: a practice perspective
Unger, Corinne J., Sandberg, Jӧrgen and Everingham, Jo-Anne (2022). Managing insidious risk: a practice perspective. PROS 2022 Organizing on the Precipice: Process Studies in Extreme Contexts, Rhodes, Greece, 25-28 June 2022.
2022
Conference Publication
When is a context extreme? Processes of construction what is extreme, or not, through social legitimacy in disruptive contexts
Meissner, Katie, Unger, Corinne and Jarzabkowski, Paula (2022). When is a context extreme? Processes of construction what is extreme, or not, through social legitimacy in disruptive contexts. 13th PROS Symposium, Rhodes, Greece, 25-28 June 2022.
2022
Other Outputs
Victims of NSW and Queensland floods have lodged 60,000 claims, but too many are underinsured. Here’s a better way
Jarzabkowski, Paula, Unger, Corinne J. and Meissner, Katie (2022, 03 04). Victims of NSW and Queensland floods have lodged 60,000 claims, but too many are underinsured. Here’s a better way The Conversation
2022
Other Outputs
Terrorism and violent protests: where do these disruptive events meet?
Jarzabkowski, Paula, Unger, Corinne J. and Meissner, Katie (2022). Terrorism and violent protests: where do these disruptive events meet?. ARPC Thought Leadership Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland Business School.
2021
Other Outputs
Insidious risk managment: a practice theoretical perspective
Unger, Corinne (2021). Insidious risk managment: a practice theoretical perspective. PhD Thesis, UQ Business School, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/2393daa
2020
Journal Article
Transition or transformation: shifting priorities and stakeholders in Australian mined land rehabilitation and closure
Unger, Corinne J., Everingham, Jo-Anne and Bond, Carol J. (2020). Transition or transformation: shifting priorities and stakeholders in Australian mined land rehabilitation and closure. Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, 27 (1), 1-30. doi: 10.1080/14486563.2020.1719440
2019
Journal Article
Quantifying rehabilitation risks for surface-strip coal mines using a soil compaction Bayesian network in South Africa and Australia: to demonstrate the R2AIN ramework
Weyer, Vanessa D, de Waal, Alta, Lechner, Alex M, Unger, Corinne J, O'Connor, Tim G, Baumgartl, Thomas, Schulze, Roland and Truter, Wayne F (2019). Quantifying rehabilitation risks for surface-strip coal mines using a soil compaction Bayesian network in South Africa and Australia: to demonstrate the R2AIN ramework. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, 15 (2), 190-208. doi: 10.1002/ieam.4128
2019
Conference Publication
Reliable mine rehabilitation and closure to minimise residual risk
Unger, Corinne J. and Everingham, Jo-Anne (2019). Reliable mine rehabilitation and closure to minimise residual risk. 39th Annual Conference of the International Association for Impact Assessment, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 29 April - 2 May 2019. IAIA.
2018
Journal Article
From start to finish - improving sustainable development aspects of life-of-mine practices
McCullough, C. D., Harvey, B., Unger, C. J., Winchester, S. J. and Coetzee, J. (2018). From start to finish - improving sustainable development aspects of life-of-mine practices. AusIMM Bulletin (4), 40-44.
2018
Book Chapter
Maturity of jurisdictional abandoned mine programs in Australia based on web-accessible information
Unger, C. J., Lechner, A. M., Walton, A., Glenn, V. C., Edraki, M. and Mulligan, D. R. (2018). Maturity of jurisdictional abandoned mine programs in Australia based on web-accessible information. From start to finish: a life-of-mine perspective. (pp. 317-328) edited by Cherie McCullough, Bruce Harvey, Corinne Unger, Jan Coetzee and Stuart Winchester. Carlton South, VIC, Australia: Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
2018
Book
From start to finish – a life-of-mine perspective
Cherie McCullough, Bruce Harvey, Corinne Unger, Jan Coetzee and Stuart Winchester eds. (2018). From start to finish – a life-of-mine perspective. Spectrum series (Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy), Carlton, VIC, Australia: The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
2018
Book Chapter
Key elements of global leading practice in abandoned mine programs and their application to Australia
Unger, C. J., Lechner, A. M., Glenn, V. C., Edraki, M. and Mulligan, D. R. (2018). Key elements of global leading practice in abandoned mine programs and their application to Australia. From start to finish: a life-of-mine perspective. (pp. 163-174) edited by Cherie McCullough, Bruce Harvey, Corinne Unger, Jan Coetzee and Stuart Winchester. Carlton South, VIC, Australia: The Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
2018
Book Chapter
From start to finish – a perspective on improving sustainable development aspects of life-of-mine practices
McCullough, C. D., Harvey, B., Unger, C. J., Winchester, S., McCarthy, B. and Coetzee, J. (2018). From start to finish – a perspective on improving sustainable development aspects of life-of-mine practices. From start to finish: a life-of-mine perspective. (pp. 395-400) edited by Cherie McCullough, Bruce Harvey, Corinne Unger, Jan Coetzee and Stuart Winchester. Carlton South, VIC, Australia: The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Corinne Unger directly for media enquiries about:
- insidious risk management
- ISO standard writing
- managing mining legacies
- mine rehabilitation and closure
- qualitative research
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