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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-11-26 Daily Xml
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Rare Earth Mining

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (14:37): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing a question without notice to the Minister for Primary Industries on the topic of rare earth mining extraction on primary production land.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS: I was recently alerted to an issue impacting agricultural landholders in the Limestone Coast region. Agricultural landholders, I understand, are having their land strip mined for rare earth minerals. This practice involves having the topsoil removed, tested for rare earth minerals and then returned to the land. This activity is having seriously negative effects on topsoil. The removal, testing and replacement of the topsoil on fertile land does not acknowledge the timeframe required for the development of a mature soil structure, nor its water-holding capacity after it is replaced.

This has serious lasting impacts on the ability to grow productive crops, and in turn it impacts adversely on the livelihood of people who work on our land. This is leading to long-term damage to the topsoil, effectively damaging the soil for decades after the exploration has ended. In Victoria, farmers have also raised serious concerns around the environmental and economic impacts of rare earth mining on and around these properties.

My question to the Minister for Primary Industries therefore is: what action is the minister taking to ensure that mining exploration does not degrade our state's fertile agricultural land, especially when farmers are already experiencing the impacts of climate change from drought on their livelihood, and is the minister concerned about the potential impacts of this practice on the Limestone Coast, given her own connections to the region?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:39): I thank the honourable member for his question. I do query some details of the question. Certainly it is the case that exploration company Australian Rare Earths, also known as AR3, have signalled an intention to apply for a mining lease in the area. I understand they have done some exploration, but I am not sure that all of the matters that the honourable member was saying have occurred have actually occurred. My understanding is that they may well occur if a mining lease was granted and that mining actually did take place.

However, notwithstanding that, I am certainly aware of the concerns. For a good amount of time now I have been having discussions with affected industries and individual landholders. The Mining Act 1971 provides a process to guide interactions between exploration and mining companies and landholders in regard to both exploration and mining. Members might recall that there is a landholder information service available through Rural Business Support to assist with understanding the lease approval process for mining exploration and mining. It is an impartial and free service and I would recommend that people do avail themselves of it.

In January 2025, I understand, the Department for Energy and Mining released its report, 'Energy and mining on the Limestone Coast: social research findings and recommendations'. A key concern raised by the community through that DEM engagement was impacts on farming and other pre-existing industries. I am informed that this report includes a series of recommendations for mining proponents, including undertaking scoping work, a social impact assessment, engaging a multistakeholder consultative committee, establishment and maintenance of an issues register and actions to increase transparency.

I am aware that, following advice from the Department for Energy and Mining, AR3 formed an independently-chaired Koppamurra community consultative committee. I am advised that Mr Iain Evans was appointed as chair and that member appointments to the community consultative committee include: Steve Bourne from the Limestone Coast Landscape Board; Todd Woodard from Limestone Coast Sustainable Futures Association; Patrick Ross, Mayor of Naracoorte Lucindale Council; Tony Wright from the Green Triangle Forest Industry Hub; Will Malone from Limestone Coast Grape and Wine Council; Erika Vickery, RDA Limestone Coast; Ken Turner, a landholder; and, Darren Turner, a business owner.

A robust process must be gone through before any approvals are provided. I think it is fair to say that having that robust framework in place is absolutely essential to ensuring that nothing occurs that would have long-term detrimental effects that could not be appropriately mitigated. I am aware of the research, which I think it is fair to say is immature research in my view in regard to the long-term impacts that could be had. However, it is not appropriate to prematurely judge a particular process, given that we do have a robust framework in place. All of those processes must be gone through and that would result in an outcome of whether or not such a thing could be approved.

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