Work has started on Gippsland Critical Minerals’ (GCM) mining and rehabilitation test pit at Glenaladale, drawing renewed scrutiny from local opposition group Mine Free Glenaladale over the trial’s timeline, scope and transparency.
The Mining and Rehabilitation Demonstration Pit (MRDP) was granted a seven-month operational permit by Resources Victoria in December 2025 under the site’s existing retention licences. According to Resources Victoria’s Director of Regulatory Operations, Laura Helm, the trial aims to address key knowledge gaps identified during the previous Environment Effects Statement (EES) process.
However, Mine Free Glenaladale (MFG) has questioned the value of the trial, arguing the timeline and scale are inadequate. MFG spokesperson Robyn Grant pointed to the 2021 Independent Assessment Committee (IAC) report, which recommended against the initial major mining project and noted that multi-year trials would be required to properly resolve fundamental rehabilitation issues.
“The community is concerned that the regulatory process will not allow enough time to fully address the serious risks associated with a proposed mineral sands mine in this location,” Ms Grant said.
MFG notes that the 0.6-hectare test pit, mined to a depth of 20 metres, is a fraction of the proposed full-scale operation, which could feature mining voids up to 58 metres deep. Ms Grant also argued that executing the trial during autumn and winter avoids the high-wind and dry conditions of spring and summer, potentially skewing dust monitoring results, while long-term issues like tailing leaching and tunnel erosion cannot be accurately measured in seven months.
MFG confirmed it has now received the Work Plan for the demonstration test pit, forwarded by the Earth Resources Regulator (ERR).
According to the ERR, baseline studies prior to the permit being issued are unavailable because GCM is currently conducting that baseline monitoring at the test pit to inform the future EES, with completion anticipated by the end of the year. MFG stated it feels it was essential to have surveying and data results completed before construction commenced and the permit was approved.
“To date, there is very little transparency,” Ms Grant previously said of the broader baseline data and approvals process.
GCM chief executive officer Michelle Wood countered that the trial directly responds to past IAC recommendations and community calls — including from MFG — to demonstrate rehabilitation methods through practical testing.
Ms Wood clarified that the seven-month permit covers the excavation and backfilling phases, but does not represent the end of the data collection.
“Excavation commenced in April and is expected to continue for around three months. Backfilling and rehabilitation begin immediately following the installation of in-pit monitoring equipment,” Ms Wood said.
“By around seven months, backfilling is complete providing data on soil rehabilitation performance.
“But we don’t stop monitoring the site. This continues across multiple seasons and varying environmental conditions to assess how soils, vegetation, water and rehabilitation outcomes perform over time.”
Ms Wood said air quality, noise, radiation and water will be monitored alongside industry-standard modelling.
“The use of modelling enables us to test a much larger range of conditions that could be expected over the life of the mine,” she said.
GCM has also appointed Nicole Anderson, a specialist with local expertise, to lead the ongoing trials over an extended period.
Resources Victoria has maintained it will strictly oversee the trial. Ms Helm previously warned that any failure to meet licence conditions or adhere to the approved Work Plan could result in the cancellation of the project’s retention licences.
MFG has called on both the regulator and GCM to publicly release all collated monitoring data as the trial progresses.
