Gippsland Critical Minerals (GCM) has announced details of its next round of community drop-in sessions and webinars, as well as its new Bairnsdale office, providing more opportunities for local people to ask questions and provide feedback on the new Fingerboards Project.
These initiatives are building on GCM’s broader engagement program, which has included the recent expansion of the Community Reference Group (CRG), holding community meetings across the
region, and starting new technical and environmental studies.
Addressing community and government feedback about the old project, GCM’s early community engagement ensures the new proposal is better designed to meet local needs and priorities.
Upcoming drop-in sessions:
– Wednesday, September 3 (tonight), 5–7pm, 50 Forge Creek Road, Bairnsdale. Focus: demonstration pit proposed for early 2026, including how the trial will be designed to test mining and rehabilitation methods.
– Wednesday, September 24, 5–7pm, Lindenow South Football Netball Club. General information and Q&A session.
For those unable to attend these sessions, more will be announced in coming weeks.
Community members can also head into GCM’s new office at 50 Forge Creek Road, Bairnsdale, or join one of the upcoming live webinars with subject matter experts and project leaders:
– Wednesday, October 15, 1–2pm. General information and Q&A session.
– Wednesday, December 10, 1–2pm. General information and Q&A session.
Both webinar sessions will allow participants to submit questions in real time, with registration now open via the GCM website.
GCM chief executive officer Michelle Wood said the sessions are a critical opportunity for two-way conversations at an early stage.
“We want to make sure community members have every chance to speak directly with our team in a safe and welcoming environment, ask questions and see how their feedback is shaping the project. These meetings are part of a multi-year process, well before any formal consultation is required, because we believe early input leads to better outcomes,” Michelle said.
The September session in Bairnsdale would give people a first look at the demonstration pit concept.
“The demonstration pit is a real-world trial of how we’ll manage dust, water and rehabilitation, providing the community and regulators the opportunity to see our approach in action.”
