THE Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) is calling for stronger dust controls and greater transparency at Gippsland Critical Minerals’ (GCM) proposed Fingerboards Critical Mineral Project.

This comes after vision showed visible dust blew from its demonstration pit across the Lindenow Valley on September 15.

The VFF has lodged a formal complaint with Resources Victoria seeking an investigation into whether the incident complied with the project’s approved work plan and licence conditions. It has also called for the incident to be considered in the final environment effects statement (EES) scoping requirements.

VFF president Ryan Milgate said the incident raised serious questions about the ability of dust controls to protect surrounding farms, communities and horticultural crops.

“Growers need confidence that their crops and livelihoods will be protected. If visible dust can blow off a four-hectare demonstration site during the spring, we need to understand how dust will be managed across a proposed 951-hectare project and across all seasons,” he said.

“These dust particles can contain traces of rare earths minerals and that’s something you absolutely don’t want landing on nearby farms.

“This trial was an opportunity to test dust controls before the project progresses. From what we’ve seen, that isn’t happening and we’re at the stage where the entire future of this project must be called into question.

“If the impacts of the mine can’t be mitigated, then there shouldn’t be a mine at all.”

The VFF is concerned about the potential for dust to settle on Lindenow Valley horticultural crops, particularly leaf and head vegetables.

Mr Milgate said agriculture must be treated as a central issue in assessing the project.

“Dust controls must work in real conditions, not just on paper. Growers need reliable, real-time monitoring data and timely actions that mitigate any risk,” he said.

The VFF is calling for the final EES scoping requirements to include the full demonstration pit monitoring record, an assessment of dust from exposed and rehabilitating ground, and a direct assessment of impacts on horticultural crops. The VFF has asked Resources Victoria to investigate the incident, determine whether licence conditions and reporting requirements were met, and publish its findings.

Meanwhile, the group opposed to the proposed mine, Mine Free Glenaladale (MFG) claimed three days after 160 millimetre of rain fell in the area, dust has been blowing off the test pit site, water trucks bogged in the saturated soil prevented any means of dust suppression at the time.

Group spokesperson Robyn Grant claimed this was the fourth dust incident observed at the test pit site in a matter of weeks.

“It demonstrates that mitigation methods put in place by the company are failing to keep the community safe and protect the environment,” she said.

“Anyone familiar with the soils in the Glenaladale area would not have sent water trucks and heavy machinery into this site following this rain event. The company should have been aware of problems with saturated soils as during the Kalbar project a drilling rig was bogged following heavy rain.”

On each incident, Ms Grant said dust blowing off the test pit site travelled beyond the 1.5-kilometre buffer zone.

MFG says during the rain event, rehabilitation did not prevent run-off from the test pit site into the gully systems which flow into the Mitchell River.

“This is totally unacceptable as heavy mineral concentrate was processed on site. The risks from this are far too great to be released into the environment,” Ms Grant said.

“Recent responses to dust events and site run-off by GCM, are clear examples why the independent advisory committee was critical of adaptive management – wait until something happens before you fix it – after it is too late. This highlights the extreme risk the community will be exposed to if the proposed large scale mining at the Fingerboards is given the green light.”

GCM chief executive Michelle Wood said the demonstration pit has been backfilled since September, with any visible dust at the site around September 15 topsoil lifting off the ground during strong wind gusts.

“It was not heavy mineral concentrate,” Ms Wood said.

“Each dust incident has been responded to in line with the Trigger Action Response Plan (TARP) approved by Resources Victoria. At no point have dust levels exceeded EPA levels.

“We have not seen evidence that topsoil dust has travelled beyond the 1.5km buffer zone and impacted farms in the Lindenow Valley and encourage people to come directly to us if that is the case.

“The demonstration pit has been running since early April and no air quality complaints had been received before September including during similar high-wind events. There are, of course, learnings for GCM especially around the management of topsoil and these will all feed into the EES.”

In regarding MFG’s claims about run-off, Ms Wood said GCM’s water management controls were designed for extreme weather events and had performed strongly through the recent rainfall.

“Again, we have not seen any evidence to the contrary and would welcome that information directly from MFG or others, if it exists. A range of surface water and groundwater testing has been part of the MRDP monitoring program and these results will directly inform the EES,” Ms Wood said.

“We encourage people to come along to our next Ask the Expert session on Thursday, December 10, and speak directly with the specialists doing these studies.”

Ms Wood said GCM was working hard to be transparent at every stage of its operations.

“More than 250 people came to look at the demonstration pit and we have just shared timelapse footage on our Facebook page showing the site at every stage of the trial, from site preparation all the way through to planting the cover crop. We encourage the community to take a look,” she said.

“More than 115 people made submissions on the draft scoping requirements issued by the Department of Transport and Planning, with feedback directly incorporated into the final scope that sets out what GCM must investigate as part of the EES. This is the process at work.

“We again welcome all community members, including MFG and the VFF, to have a conversation with GCM and engage directly in the EES process.”