Community and land use

Fingerboards Mineral Sand Project

The Fingerboards Mineral Sands project is located in Glenaladale, between Stratford and Bairnsdale in East Gippsland. The project proposes to develop a mineral sands mining operation in the area.

Gippsland Critical Minerals Pty Ltd holds two Retention Licences (RL2023 and RL2026). REZIR Ltd holds an Exploration Licence (EL5395) encompassing the main Fingerboards project area.

Rezir Ltd has also applied for a series of exploration licences surrounding the main Fingerboards project area.

Licence Renewals

Gippsland Critical Minerals exercised its right to apply to Resources Victoria to renew its Retention Licences and exploration licence. It did this with the aim of rescoping its approach to potential mining following the Minister for Planning’s November 2021 finding that project should not proceed in its proposed form due to unacceptable environmental risk.

In October 2024, Resources Victoria renewed Gippsland Critical Minerals licences:

  • RL2023 has been renewed to May 2027
  • RL2026 has been renewed to August 2028
  • EL5395 has been renewed to January 2025

These licence renewals do not permit mining, they only allow Gippsland Critical Minerals to continue to explore and carry out work to reshape their project.

A condition on the Retention Licences renewal is that Gippsland Critical Minerals self-refer the rescoped project for a Victorian Government determination on the future requirements of the Environmental Effects Statement process. Gippsland Critical Minerals is required to refer the project by 11 December 2025, or potentially face cancellation of its licence.

The licence conditions also require Gippsland Critical Minerals to deliver 77 geological and project development milestones, including community engagement requirements, climate modelling, environmental baseline monitoring and rehabilitation trials. Failure to deliver these milestones could lead to the cancellation of the licences.

Areas exempt from minerals applications

Resources Victoria has exempted large areas of land surrounding the site from licence applications under section 7 of the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990. This prohibits any further exploration activity at this time, to ensure any future use is properly planned.

These exemptions have resulted in Resources Victoria refusing to grant Rezir Ltd’s Exploration Licence applications around the Fingerboards project area.

The newly exempted areas are in addition to the currently exempt area over the nearby

Community and Traditional Owner engagement

Gippsland Critical Minerals is required to give Resources Victoria quarterly reports on its community engagement. This includes details on engagement activities, as well as how complaints, enquiries and feedback is being addressed. Resources Victoria expects Gippsland Critical Minerals to have improved, collaborative and genuine engagement with the community and Traditional Owners.

Questions about Gippsland Critical Minerals community and Traditional Owner engagement can be directed to the company:

Regulatory compliance

Resources Victoria has imposed several conditions on Gippsland Critical Minerals through the licence renewals. These conditions are intended to enable Gippsland Critical Minerals to progress its plans while addressing community concerns over a lack of consultation and uncertainty over the project’s future.

Resources Victoria has the power to cancel Gippsland Critical Minerals’ licences if they do not meet the set conditions or milestones. Resources Victoria will be monitoring Gippsland Critical Minerals’ licence compliance closely.

The Retention Licences renewal conditions include quarterly reporting on community engagement activities and the requirement to demonstrate that reasonably practicable actions have been taken to address concerns through the community engagement process. This include complaints, enquiries and feedback that have been received and how those complaints, enquiries and feedback are being addressed.

Resources Victoria will keep the community informed of its compliance activities through updates to this webpage.

Background

In 2016 the Minister for Planning determined an Environmental Effects Statement was required for the Fingerboards Mineral Sands Project under the Environment Effects Act 1978. An Environmental Effects Statement (EES) is an assessment of the potential impacts or effects of a proposed project or development on the environment.

In November 2021, following public exhibition of the EES, public hearings and a report from the independent Fingerboards Inquiry and Advisory Committee, the Minister for Planning concluded that the Fingerboards project should not proceed in its current form.

Page last updated: 25 Oct 2024