Extensive on-site inspections will be held in the Swan Hill district today as part of a government inquiry into a planned mineral sands mine in the Cannie Ridge district.
After public hearings opened in Melbourne last week, the inquiry moves to northern Victoria for the next month.
The Mallee mine hearings will run for 21 days across six weeks.
ASX-listed VHM Ltd is being opposed by grain growers who farm what they claim is some of the best cropping country in the southern Mallee.
The Federal government is backing the aims of VHM and other rare earths miners to provide the nation the key "big four" rare earths needed for renewable energy technology like wind turbines and electric vehicles.
These hard to find minerals - neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium - are necessary to create the permanent magnets critical for the renewable industry.
VHM is gearing up to begin construction of the mine later this year.
The freehold land has already been bought from willing sellers for its Goshen mine which covers about 1534 hectares (3791 acres).
VHM's flagship Goschen project will mean 20-25 years of round-the-clock mining to open cut five million tonnes of mineral sands and rare earths every year.
On Wednesday, the hearings move to The Grain Shed in Swan Hill for 14 days before concluding over several days again in Melbourne.
Today from 8.30am a bus containing the inquiry panel of three planning experts and key representatives of VHM, local councils and Mine Free Mallee Farms will travel to a number of locations.
They include Lake Boga, Kangaroo Lake, the proposed mine site, several local farms, Lalbert and Ultima.
VHM intends to run a water pipeline 38km from Kangaroo Lake to the Cannie Ridge mine, build a generator-driven power station, upgrade some local roads and prepare its truck convoy route from the mine to the closest rail at Ultima.
One of the stops will be to inspect "potential" Samphire Skink habitat near the pipeline route or proposed mine site.
The little skink is either listed as threatened or endangered in Victoria.
A miner says it wants to get started on their mineral sands mine near Lalbert in the southern Mallee after the public has had a chance to comment on its plans.
The public exhibition of its 4000-page Environmental Effects Statement was a major milestone for the project and forms the basis of these planning panel hearings.
After that a positive ministerial assessment for Goschen would allow VHM to apply for its relevant permits and mining licence (already under way), so the company can make its final investment decision.
The panel is to provide its report to the government within 40 days after those hearings but there is no timeline on the government's final decision.
On Wednesday at The Grain Shed, the hearings will begin with an expert from VHM to be followed by local councils, the EPA, Mine Free Mallee Farms, Victorian Farmers Federation and several other groups and individuals.
The online link to the hearings can be found here.
Chris McLennan
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
