General News
28 September, 2024
Farmers dispute claims productivity will be restored
Wimmera farmer Andrew Weidemann says claims that farmland will be restored to former productivity levels after cessation of mining are a fallacy.
Mr Weidemann said that returning land to its productive pre-mining condition was not possible, despite assurances to the contrary by mining companies.
"There hasn't been anywhere in Victoria where land has been taken back to its original state," he said.
Astron Corporation plans to mine an area of about 42,000 hectares in the Minyip-Donald area to harvest what is rated as one of the world's most significant deposits of rare-earth minerals.
Of this, 1400 hectares is under mining exploration licence.
Mr Weidemann also raised the issue of a sharp increase in the value of land and the suitability and importance of Wimmera land to worldwide pulse production as a necessary protein source for millions of people, particularly in developing world countries.
He was speaking after Astron Corporation CEO Tiger Brown said the company was committed to best practice around rehabilitation and would continue to work with farmers to manage and address their concerns.
Mr Brown had previously said that rehabilitation after mining was not an option but an obligation.
Mining in the Minyip-Donald area is set to start at the end of next year in an attempt to help fill a worldwide shortage of these minerals, necessary for dozens of everyday products.
Mr Weidemann said it was 15 years since the company first submitted an environmental effects statement to mine in the area.
The EES was approved by the state government about 10 years ago, but he said much had changed since that time.
Mr Weidemann said it lacked detail on many relevant issues and a community reference group was formed only last year.
Mr Weidemann said the processes involved in dealing with landowners were inefficient and failed to take into account many issues.
Dunmunkle Land Protection Group, which was formed 35 years ago, is also being revised to deal with issues including economic value of the agriculture on land proposed for mining into perpetuity.
"This will give us an economic analysis that we can provide to the government and the minister," Mr Weidemann said.
"Things have changed in the past couple of decades in agriculture, and genetic gains we've seen in plant material and plant production have increased."
He said another issue was that land values had almost quadrupled since mining plans were initiated.
"We're trying to feed a planet that's asking more and more for pulses and high-protein, high-value food," he said.
He said pulse crops were suited only to specific areas of Australia.
"Our pulse production is of absolute importance to quite a large section of the Asian market and we really need to make sure we protect that," he said.
"It's taken us 150 years just to get the land to its current productive state and now we're being mined."
He said now more land was under investigation for mining.
Mr Weidemann estimated that 150 to 160 people in farming and farming families could be affected.
He said farmers realised the law favoured mining companies, and minerals under farmland were not the property of the landowner.
However, the impact of mining needed to be taken into account, he said.
* Astron Corporation is to host another series of community walk-in sessions next month - at Donald, Minyip and Rupanyip on October 10, 11 and 12.
"We're committed to open dialogue with the Wimmera community," Mr Brown said.
"These sessions are an opportunity for residents to learn about the project, ask questions, and share their perspectives.
"We value community input as we develop this significant project, which promises many benefits for the region."
For details of the sessions, call 5385 7088 or email enquiries@donaldmineralsands.com
The Donald project aims to create more than 500 jobs.