The Victorian Government’s Critical Minerals Roadmap has sent shock waves through community group, Mine Free Glenaladale, which says there has been no community consultation concerning the Environmental Effects Statement (EES) process being shortened to 12 months to fast-track mining proposals.
“The shortened EES process will give uncertainty to those in regional areas, as the technical and environmental studies for a mining project are complex and require long term studies and extensive community consultation,” the group said in a statement.
“The Fingerboards mineral sands proposal, at Glenaladale, 25 kilometres west of Bairnsdale, is included in the roadmap. In October 2024 Resources Victoria renewed two retention licenses and one exploration license for Gippsland Critical Mineral (formerly Kalbar) to re-scope the project.
“In 2021 this proposal was rejected outright by the Independent Advisory Committee (IAC) panel, the Planning Minister, the community and First Nations people.
“At the time the IAC panel and the Minister gave 49 unacceptable impacts which would have to be addressed if the project was ever to proceed. It would be impossible for the mining proponent to achieve these milestones within 12 months, as they require complex technical trials, long term monitoring and surveying, water testing and a review of modelling for many aspects of the original project.
“There is concern in the community that Gippsland Critical Minerals and the Government may ignore these 49 unacceptable impacts to fast track the project.
“The IAC panel concluded that the risk factors were too great to agriculture/horticulture, biodiversity, human health, surface and ground water, cultural heritage and the Mitchell and Perry Rivers.
“The proponent had eight years to get the Fingerboards Mineral Sands Mine proposal to an acceptable level but it failed to do so. How is this same company which has been rebranded and chosen a new CEO able to design a new project and address the 49 unacceptable impacts in just 12 months?”
Community engagement and First Nations inclusion are important factors in the approval process within the Critical Minerals Roadmap, according to Mine Free Glenaladale.
“Mining companies must engage the community and provide details of any proposal, so informed decisions can be made by those affected by the mining project,” it says.
“Gippsland Critical Minerals has provided very little information and no detail about the Fingerboards proposal.”
