Soil microbes are more than just indicators of ecological function, they are increasingly recognised as facilitators in restoration ecology, being integral to achieving successful aboveground restoration of degraded landscapes. Little is known regarding the complexity and functions of microbial communities in soils present after significant environmental degradation, such as observed in mining operations, and more critically, how they may be used in novel ways to shape the above-ground outcome of post-mining ecosystem restoration. Mining of mineral resources generate substantial volumes of waste substrates (i.e. post-mining substrates) that are characterised by poor physical structure and hydrology, unstable geochemistry, and potentially toxic chemical conditions. Restored landscapes using these post-mining substrates possess significant abiotic constraints for both plants and microbial communities. In this talk, I will present our recent findings on understanding microbial functional diversity in post-mining substrates