FARMERS + MINERAL SAND EXPLORATORY DRILLERS

Mineral sand mining & processing activity and the (flawed) regulation by Earth Resources is a complex matter !

First step is to try and stop them and try to exclude the company during the exploration stage, rather than allow the proposal to advance to the stage of an Environment Effects Statement or a mining licence.

Soil

Things to consider is produce, for example cereal production. In particular if you conduct no till or minimal soil disturbance and the risks from soil compaction, wind and water erosion etc.

Groundwater

Mineral sand mining requires many gigalitres of water per annum and any allocation to a mine would be at the expense of local irrigators and the environment.

Shallow saline groundwater – take all reasonable means to avoid the company accessing your property and conducting any form of excavation, which may result in extracted saline groundwater being placed into “turkey nest“ dams as a long term storage.

Produce

Production of heavy metal concentrate (HMC) adjacent Treed produce ie: fruit / olives would not be compatible if the produce could ever be offered to the market unwashed as the dust generated from HMC stockpiles is radioactive and at times will be present on the fruit.

The Mining Company

One way forward is to write to the company and offer to meet with them to describe the many reasons why it would be unacceptable for them to access your property.

Mining Warden

It may became necessary to attend a meeting with the mining warden, mining warden ‘so-called’ hearings. There are many alternate ways to approach the situation with the mining warden.

There are a number of opportunities:

• Researching any available documentation which provides mapping of the saline groundwater and particularly data on any existing monitoring bores including the distance to groundwater and the depth to the basement and the permeability of the soil. i.e. the rate at which ground water is likely to flow. It is possible that groundwater movement on a farm is that rapid it would be impossible to excavate and operate mine pits.
• In the short term you can place ‘Lock the Gate to Mining‘ signs at each gate or other prominent locations and encourage neighbours to place signs as well. Please contact ARMR enquiries@armrvic.com to purchase core flute signs ≈ $5 each. They use cable ties through grommets which reduce wind damage.
• Signing up to a bio-security protocol with signage to control entry to properties. Bio-security can include weeds, plant disease etc.
• That you consider joining a community group ie. Mine-Free Mallee Farms, Mine Free Wimmera, in the short term which will assist you with access to the media and politicians. It will also provide you with some legal protection if you make statements to the media. It is always best if your statements are in the form of questions as it is then difficult for the mining company to take any action against you. You can always express your ‘personal’ concerns as long as you don’t name a person from the company and then defame them.
• In the longer term you consider joining with some neighbours and other community members, such as other farmers and retailers in your local area who service the agricultural industry, agronomists etc. to form your own group such as a Mine Free community group.
• Have a Facebook page. It is the most effective way to recruit members and demonstrate to the wider community that this company doesn’t hold a social licence.
• Consider approaching your neighbours to conduct a community meeting at a local hall. Contact your local ABC radio station, who will promote the community meeting (have a spokesperson ready to speak to the journalist). ARMR may be able to help organise a speaker at that meeting, to describe the jeopardy that is created for a local community if a mineral sand mining company is provided any form of access to farmland, for so-called exploration. There is a risk that a mining pit, or series of pits, can be excavated on an exploration licence under the guise that it is a ‘test pit’ required to determine if economic production could be sustained.

More information – Victorian Mining Warden – resources.vic.gov.au/legislation-and-regulations/victorian-mining-warden

Resources – Our Submissions

We’ve put a lot of work into these well sourced submissions. Feel free to use the information that is applicable to your situation, to save yourself time.

The Bendigo District Environment Council made a submission to the Avonbank & Goschen EES. This submission provides dozens of reasons why you don’t want a mineral sand mining or a processing operation in your farming environment.

Other Relevant Submissions / Documents

DOCUMENT	DOWNLOAD
Submission Avonbank WIM Resources 22 May 2023 The consequences for the Horsham Rural City Council, its ratepayers and the grain industry must be considered when assessing the merits of WIM Resource’s proposal for the Special Control Overlay.	PDF
Strengthening Vic’s Biosecurity Legislation 28 February 2025 The Government’s Critical Minerals Strategy is ill-conceived and demonstrates the Government’s general ignorance of, and wilful blindness, regarding the scientific evidence that mining will intensify the biosecurity crisis.	PDF
Objection to Mining Licence Application MIN008642 – 9 April 2025 A great resource if you are writing an objection to a mineral sands mine.	PDF