Meeting gathers mine concerns ahead of HRCC submission
Published on 17 April 2025
Feedback gathered at a Dooen community meeting will form part of Horsham Rural City Council’s latest submission to the Victorian Government on the proposed Avonbank mineral sands mine.
About 100 residents gathered on Tuesday night in what was HRCC’s first public forum on the project and comes as WIM Resource prepares its application for a mining licence — the next stage in the state government’s approvals process.
The mine has already cleared the critical hurdle of environmental effects statement (EES) approval, granted by the Victorian Government last year.
Council will now compile the feedback into a formal submission to the state government as part of the mining licence application process.
The generation of dust from tailings stockpiles, water usage during drought conditions, and whether the land could be returned to productive farmland once mining is complete were among the concerns voiced.
Questions were also raised about social matters, with locals worried that an influx of mine workers could strain the already tight rental market and childcare availability.
Several attendees expressed frustration that this was the first mining-focused community meeting held by Council, saying it should have occurred earlier in the planning process.
Dust and radiation exposure were key topics, with HRCC noting in its 2023 ESS submission that while the radiation assessment appears thorough and within accepted dose limits, uncertainties remain — particularly around the drying process of tailings prior to being buried.
As the material dries, it can produce dust, which may not have been fully considered in previous risk assessments.
Council will ask that the stockpiles are enclosed in sheds to prevent dust from becoming airborne, stating that sprinkler systems alone are insufficient.
HRCC is also calling for long-term environmental monitoring at the site, not just during early operations, and has reiterated concerns about potential damage to local roads caused by mining traffic. It has recommended that the company use rail to transport heavy mineral concentrate (HMC) to the Port of Portland to mitigate this impact.
WIM Resource estimates the Avonbank project will indirectly support 967 full-time equivalent jobs over the life of the mine.
The proposed mine is part of a broader push by the Victorian Government to capitalise on the state’s critical mineral reserves.
Last November, the government released a Critical Minerals Roadmap, highlighting the Wimmera and southern Mallee as key mineral-rich regions. Victoria is estimated to hold 33 million tonnes of zircon — about 27 per cent of the world’s known reserves.
Council is expected to submit its formal feedback to the state government in the coming weeks. It will be made public.