We recently visited Horsham in north western Victoria to meet with farmers who are, or will be, impacted by the massive critical minerals developments planned for the NW of the state. The meeting was organised through Mine Free Wimmera Farms. There are five main projects currently planned. There are also legacy issues from older projects, which have not been properly rehabilitated.
We also toured around the edge of some of the Avonbank Mineral Sands Project, located just 10 km northeast of Horsham, which is a large-scale open-cut mining project proposed by WIM Resource Pty Ltd.
What we heard from the impacted people was shocking. Firstly the scale of the projects. Each one is assessed separately, yet they will have an enormous cumulative impact on landscapes, water and farming economies across the region.
Most of the people we met are multi generational cropping farmers. They grow crops like wheat, canola, lentils and barley for both local consumption and export, and as many of them said ‘we are feeding the world through our work’. Yet they face the loss of their farms and livelihoods for decades if mining proceeds. The heartbreak attached to this was obvious.
Key problems with these mines
· Each mineral sand mine will consume hundreds of hectares of high production cereal farm land. This land will be lost to production forever.
There is no feasible method to restore mine pits back to cereal production. We heard from people impacted by previous mines who are still not able to carry out cropping, due to the poor rehabilitation.
· At most locations the mining company will extract millions of tonnes of saline groundwater.
It is most likely that the mining company will walk away when the project ends, and this saline water will sit in above ground storages on the farm land. A number of people also expressed concerns about mining impacts on vital aquifers.
· There will be direct environmental impacts from these mines
This includes loss of remnant vegetation and above ground water use. For instance, Taylors Lake, which is critical for Horsham’s water supply will be impacted by the proposed WIM 150 projects. Along with Lake Bellfield, it currently provides drinking water to Horsham and the surrounding area. It also provides environmental flow into the Wimmera River. Additionally, a number of swamps and lakes with endangered flora and fauna will be affected.
· Mining companies often leave radioactive tailings dumps on the surface.
What was staggering was that the proposed Avonbank project was literally next to a major food processing complex and the Wimmera Intermodal Freight Hub, which creates millions of dollars of economic activity and hundreds of long term jobs. There is only a separation distance of 250m from proposed mineral sands operations, meaning these facilities could be regularly contaminated by potentially radioactive dust from the near by mine. In 2025, the Victorian government approved what will be the largest potato processing plant in the country, creating another 250 jobs. It is inconceivable that governments would approve a massive open cut mine which will produce hazardous dust so close to a food processing hub.
What we heard – the system has failed farmers
Almost every person we met told us that they felt ignored by governments and that they wanted the mining companies gone from their communities. They repeatedly told us that the EES approvals system was ‘broken’, and that the assessment and approvals processes for these large projects felt like ‘box ticking’ exercises with a pre determined outcome. There is lack of transparency about the impacts of mines, and no trust in government oversight of mines once they are up and running (miners generally are able to self report) and that endless ‘workplan variations’ allows companies to slowly increase impacts and reduce protections over time. They feel ignored by ministers, MPs and the government in general.
When they are compelled to sell their land for mines, the system only provides families with a market value + 10% price, which makes it unviable to purchase properties nearby to continue farming. These are people with deep connection to their local communities, and the current system will force many people to leave the region if they wish to keep farming.
We heard fears that mine developers could on sell approved projects to mining companies with especially bad track records.
We heard of social dislocation, and impacts on local housing availability, with workers coming in from outside the region. Mining creates a Boom and Bust economy, and when farming families are displaced, they are often lost to the region.
The constant message was that previous rehabilitation has failed and that the bonds required are insufficient to ensure proper rehabilitation in the future.
And we heard deep fears about the health impacts of these mines due to the fact that radioactive materials are released into the air and can blow long distances. There were many stories of locals being impacted by various and unusual cancers, yet there have been no studies carried out to monitor any long term health impacts of critical minerals mines.
We heard a strong desire to see formal protection for this important cropping land. The preferred model is for the creation of a land classification system, in legislation, to protect Agricultural land, which would see key areas protected from large scale projects like mines. Thousands of hectares of prime agricultural land are currently under a retention licence for mining, and could impact on food security
Hundreds of families will be directly affected.
What next
This visit was shocking to us – the scale of the projects, the personal impacts on families, and the long term economic impacts on local communities, the loss of vital cropping land and impacts on landscapes and ground water.
We are still to talk with a number of key people about the impacts of the planned mines but a logical starting point is to examine and then educate the community about the fact that previous mineral sands mines in the north west have seen failed attempts at rehabilitation.
Further information and getting involved
To learn more about these projects, please check the ARMR website.
Mine Free Mallee Farms Inc
Mine Free Mallee Farms Inc (MFMF) is a dedicated community group who are passionate about protecting their prime agricultural cropping country, their health, homes and lifestyle from mining. VHM Limited is proposing to develop the Goschen Rare Earths and Mineral Sands Project about 35km south of Swan Hill in the Gannawarra Shire Council and intends to mine and process heavy mineral sands and rare earth minerals.
Check the Mine Free Wimmera Farms facebook page here.