Nov 28, 2023

Farmers swamped by sand mine proposal while harvest in full swing Key points: Farmers say 40 business days is not long enough to review 3,244 pages of technical documents They are concerned about dust, traffic, noise, and how land will be rehabilitated after it has been mined Mining company VHM says it will return the land to agricultural use Craige Kennedy said he bought land south of Swan Hill 13 years ago to grow cereal crops in an area known for its rich, fertile soil. On November 20, he was given 40 business days to review 3,244 pages of technical documents for the proposed Goschen mineral sands mine that will, subject to the Victorian government’s approval, turn land he farms into an open pit mine. The documents make up what is known as an Environmental Effects Statement (EES) — an assessment of the potential effects of the mine on water, land, biodiversity, agricultural production, air quality, noise, roads, and surrounding communities. The documents are on exhibition at Swan Hill library. (ABC Mildura-Swan Hill: Francesco Salvo) Mr Kennedy said the EES was released in the middle of the harvest season, the busiest time of year for crop growers. “We’re all cereal growers in this district and we’re really just getting into our harvest,” Mr Kennedy said. “We’re currently harvesting lentils … there’s a lot of things to get organised. We’re all trying to get our crop off at the optimal time.” An aerial view over the area proposed for the Goschen mineral sands mine. (Supplied: VHM) Time frame ‘longer than normal’ The Goschen mine, 35 kilometres south-west of Swan Hill and 275km north of Melbourne, has been proposed to cover 1,479 hectares of agricultural land — about the size of 739 Melbourne Cricket Grounds. ASX-listed mining company VHM notified landholders on October 31 that it was due to release the statement for the mine imminently. Mr Kennedy requested extra time to review the EES, and said it took him two weeks of “bouncing between [government] departments” before he found the correct department to which he could submit his request. Craige Kennedy says farmers in his district are busy with harvest. (ABC Mildura-Swan Hill: Francesco Salvo) By that time, EES exhibition dates had already been decided and were publicly announced the next day. A spokesperson for VHM said the Victorian government was responsible for setting the time frame for public exhibition. A Department of Transport and Planning spokesperson said the 40-business-day public exhibition period was “longer than the typical 30-business-day time frame, and was on top of community and stakeholder consultation that occurred while the EES was being developed”. A drawing shows the proposed design for the Goschen mineral sands mine south of Swan Hill. (Supplied: VHM) Concerns raised Mr Kennedy said he was concerned about the effect the development would have on his community. “Where the [processing] plant would be and the initial stages of the mine, for a broadacre farming district, it’s fairly well populated, and that’s the concern,” he said. “It’s also the environmental impact and the recovery of the land to a sustainable farming enterprise, the traffic, the dust, the noise, and the amenity — the things that go along with having a mineral sands mine at your back door.” Agronomist and Lalbert farmer, Brad Bennett, who is Mr Kennedy’s neighbour, agreed. Brad Bennett’s property is adjacent to the proposed mineral sands mine. (ABC Mildura-Swan Hill: Emile Pavlich) Mr Bennett, who farms land that would share a boundary fence with the proposed mine, said he was concerned about traffic, dust, and the rehabilitation of the land. “You’re talking a couple of hundred workers being bussed in and out and the like,” he said. “Being that close [there will be] noise, dust, and those sorts of things are going to be a factor.” He said he planned to raise these issues in a formal submission but was concerned he would not have enough time. “The way things are tracking, we’ll probably be harvesting … close to Christmas, and following that, we’ll be in that Christmas/New Year period and I daresay some of those people we’d want to be touching base with [for legal advice] would be on leave,” Mr Bennett said. Thorough process VHM Limited chief executive officer Ron Douglas said the EES was “a culmination of five years of works to assess and mitigate the environmental aspects of the project”. “VHM has engaged openly with regulators throughout the approvals process and the assistance of environmental approvals consultant AECOM has been integral to reaching this milestone,” Mr Douglas said. “This has been a thorough process for all involved in assessing and mitigating the environmental aspects of the project.” Workers conduct tests on a proposed mineral sands mine site at Lalbert. (Supplied: VHM) A spokesperson for VHM said a detailed study of traffic management for the project had been undertaken, and the company was in ongoing discussions with Swan Hill and Gannawarra shire councils over roads and other development priorities. Water spray and misting systems were planned to keep dust under control, and noise monitoring and suppression controls were also planned, the spokesperson said. They said farmland would be “progressively mined and rehabilitated” in line with well-established rehabilitation methodologies. The EES for the Goschen mineral sands mine will be on public exhibition until January 17, 2024. Once complete, an independent inquiry and advisory committee will consider the EES and public submissions via a public hearing and prepare a report for the Victorian government. Stories from farms and country towns across Australia, delivered each Friday.