The changes that Gippsland Critical Minerals (GCM) have made to the failed Kalbar Fingerboards minerals sands project at Gleneladale will do little to prevent environmental damage and allay community concerns, according to Mine Free Glenaladale.
It has been eight months since the Victorian Government renewed two retention licenses and one exploration license and for GCM to rescope the project.
“Over halfway through the rescoping the company has failed to release detailed information and mapping,” Robyn Grant said.
“The company is still presenting only concepts and unsubstantiated claims. With 11 and a half years of opposing this mine in an inappropriate location, the community
is fully aware of the impacts, risks and the long term legacy the mine will leave behind – a changed landscape, habitat and vegetation destruction, a toxic tailings dam leaking into streams and rivers, contaminated soil, economic instability, cultural heritage destroyed, disintegration of a close knit community and long term health effects.
“Gippsland Critical Minerals CEO, Michelle Wood, is asking the community to accept unmitigated impacts of dust, noise and environmental destruction for 22 years. What an ask.”
Ms Grant said the smaller footprint of the mine will pose the same risks and impacts of any size mine in this location.
“The “buffer zone” of 1.5 km from the horticulture industry in the Lindenow Valley will not stop the dust,” she said.
“Recently dust from the Mallee and South Australia blew across Victoria and New South Wales and East Gippsland was not immune to this dust. This “buffer” will not protect farms and households on the other three sides of the proposed mining area.
“In the project area vegetation clearance is still substantial, and one of the largest of any recent developments in Victoria. The building of haul roads and the possible construction of a rail siding will impact critically endangered vegetation outside of the project area. Has this been calculated in the percentages of retained vegetation?”
Ms Grant claims the realignment of the Bairnsdale-Dargo Road will alter the Fingerboards intersection, despite Ms Wood saying “the Fingerboards intersection will be entirely maintained”.
“The intersection will become a T-intersection after the realignment of the Bairnsdale-Dargo Road and will stand in isolation surrounded by mining voids,” Ms Grant said.
Planned mine voids will be 900 metres by 300 metres and up to 45 metres deep. Ms Grant said the mining operation will impact the liveability of the community in the Glenaladale and surrounding areas.
GCM have said a test pit will enable it to test its proposed approach to noise and dust management, surface water and runoff, cultural heritage, geotechnical, soil reinstatement and rehabilitation.
“The community rejects these claims by GCM due to the location and smaller test pit size and will not show any long term impacts following rehabilitation,” Ms Grant said.
“GCM plan to have all baseline data completed by December. It is questionable how thorough this will be. There is very little time for extensive field surveys and observations and once again the community will see the reliance on desk top data.
“No amount of changes will alleviate the fears the community has if this project was to proceed. In the past the East Gippsland community has said a resounding no to this proposed mine and continue to do so today.”
