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A national parliamentary inquiry into critical minerals will hear from mining companies, industry experts and regional communities in Victoria next week, exploring the sector’s economic potential and opportunities to balance project development with existing land uses.
The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Primary Industries will hold a public hearing in Melbourne on Monday, October 19, from 9am to 3.20pm, examining the social licence requirements for critical minerals projects and their potential economic contribution.
Representatives from mining and mineral processing companies will join academics, engagement professionals and the Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations to discuss the opportunities and considerations surrounding project development.
The inquiry will then move to Horsham on Wednesday, October 21, where the committee will meet with local community and government representatives to discuss potential land-use conflicts in a region shaped economically and socially by agriculture.
The Horsham hearing will explore how critical minerals development could intersect with existing agricultural land uses and the priorities of regional communities.
Presenters at the Melbourne hearing will include Southern Cross Gold, La Trobe Magnesium, Spektrum Development, the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM), Monash University and the Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations.
Southern Cross Gold
In its submission, Southern Cross Gold welcomed the opportunity to propose, highlighting its Sunday Creek gold-antimony project in central Victoria as a “useful case study” for the inquiry.
“[Sunday Creek] is a high-grade project in a settled agricultural and peri-urban landscape close to a capital city, advancing through construction of the first new underground exploration decline in Victoria in roughly two decades,” the company said.
“The Company is simultaneously progressing downstream antimony processing in Benalla, a native title negotiation with the Taungurung Land and Waters Council, an active community engagement program, and a suite of Commonwealth, State and allied government engagements.”
It said that social licence and economic development are “not in tension” for Southern Cross Gold, and instead are mutually reinforcing, genuine, early and continuous engagement.
“Fair benefit-sharing, transparent environmental management and downstream value-adding are the same things that build durable community and Traditional Owner support,” it said.
Southern Cross Gold has outlined six recommendations aimed at strengthening social licence and economic development outcomes for Australian critical minerals projects, including:
- Streamlined approvals: Establish clear, time-bound approval processes for nationally significant critical minerals projects, supported by government coordination.
- First Nations certainty: Provide legislative clarity for First Nations agreements to prevent delays and ensure communities receive negotiated benefits.
- Domestic processing: Support downstream processing and value-adding through government-backed offtake, financing and construction assistance.
- Community engagement: Strengthen regional community participation and independent environmental oversight to build transparency and trust.
- Land-use coexistence: Develop guidelines allowing critical minerals projects to operate alongside agriculture and other land uses.
- Strategic partnerships: Align government support with international alliances to strengthen Australia’s role in defence and advanced technology supply chains.
LaTrobe Magnesium
LaTrobe Magnesium, meanwhile, has highlighted the economic and environmental opportunities associated with its magnesium production project in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley.
The company has developed a hydrometallurgical process designed to convert brown coal fly ash into magnesium and other saleable products without generating waste.
Its submission highlighted the construction of a $75 million demonstration plant, alongside plans for a larger 10,000-tonne-per-annum facility estimated to cost approximately $250 million.
LaTrobe Magnesium said its operations could help address regional unemployment following the closure of power stations and other industries, while strengthening domestic critical minerals supply chains.
The company reported employing more than 100 people during demonstration plant installation and construction, with a further 35 involved in operations. Its proposed commercial plant could support approximately 200 construction jobs and 50 operational positions.
“In order to obtain our social licence, we have instigated meetings, presentations and participation with local communities – there are some 6 green groups in the Valley that we discuss our project with,” the company said.
Spektrum Development
Spektrum Development’s submission placed greater emphasis on the relationship between community consent, government decision-making and the long-term viability of critical minerals projects.
The organisation said that social licence should be established through legitimate and transparent decision-making rather than treated solely as a regulatory compliance exercise.
It outlined three key recommendations, including ensuring engagement begins before major project decisions are finalised, treating durable social licence as a prerequisite for regional employment and economic outcomes, and improving government coordination to protect the long-term value of mineral resources.
“Spektrum submits that the uneven social licence and economic development outcomes observed across Australia’s critical minerals sector are not accidental,” the company said.
“They reflect how legitimacy is — or is not — established within development pathways.”
Spektrum also called for workforce and skills plans to be co-designed with Traditional Owners and regional stakeholders, alongside consistent engagement and cultural heritage standards across jurisdictions.
It said that failing to establish community trust early could result in prolonged project delays, stranded resources and lost economic opportunities.
AusIMM
AusIMM similarly highlighted the importance of meaningful community engagement, calling for a region-first approach that incorporates Traditional Owners, local stakeholders and industry into long-term development planning.
Drawing on its environmental, social and governance (ESG) partnership with the Queensland Government, AusIMM identified community impacts, environmental performance, post-mining land use and First Nations participation as priorities for improving industry capability.
Its submission also called for greater investment in geoscience research, mineral processing, resource recovery and professional skills development.
AusIMM recommended expanding pathways for science, technology, engineering and mathematics graduates into the resources sector, while supporting regional education and research programs.
It also encouraged stronger coordination between governments to support regional infrastructure, domestic processing and the development of an Australian critical minerals market.
Monash University
Monash University, meanwhile, highlighted the importance of evidence-based planning and more meaningful consultation throughout the development of critical minerals projects.
The university warned that community engagement is frequently undertaken too late in project development, potentially contributing to mistrust and opposition.
Its submission pointed to research exploring how environmental and social mapping tools could identify project risks earlier, allowing governments and companies to better understand potential impacts before development decisions are made.
Monash also highlighted research into targeted tax incentives, geopolitical risk modelling and artificial intelligence-enabled forecasting to strengthen investment decisions and critical minerals supply chains.
It recommended greater consistency between Commonwealth and state governments through minimum social performance expectations, integrated approval pathways and improved coordination of regional development priorities.
The Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations
The Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations, meanwhile, has called for stronger legislative protections and mandatory benefit-sharing agreements to ensure Traditional Owners receive economic benefits from critical minerals development.
Its submission highlighted how historical land dispossession and Victoria’s extensive freehold land tenure have limited Traditional Owners’ ability to negotiate with mining proponents and access economic opportunities.
The Federation recommended aligning Commonwealth legislation with the principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent, alongside requiring critical minerals projects receiving government support to have negotiated agreements with affected Traditional Owners.
It also called for engagement requirements to extend to all Traditional Owner groups, regardless of their formal recognition status or land tenure.
Further recommendations included government funding to strengthen Traditional Owner negotiating capabilities and requiring project proponents to cover engagement and negotiation costs.
The Federation said benefit-sharing agreements could encompass revenue or equity participation, employment, training, procurement opportunities and Traditional Owner involvement in project planning, environmental management and rehabilitation.
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