What we want

Putting food before sand

We are working to ensure that mining occurs only where farmers give consent. We want to see Legislative change in Victoria to ensure farmers have a right to veto mining operations on their farms.

We are calling on the Victorian Resources Minister, the Hon. Lily D'Ambrosio, along with her fellow Victorian politicians, and the community, to put food production before minerals.

While the mining company, Astron Limited, may believe that “Mineral Sands – are part of everyday life”, we believe that food production is a much greater part of everyday life in Australia.

We are working:

• to ensure that farmers in the Wimmera can continue to farm on lands their families have owned, farmed and sustainably managed for decades.

We are seeking:

• a State in which the decision-making mindset prioritises the value of productive agriculture land in all legislative and regulatory decisions.

We are calling for:

• The Victorian Parliament to introduce Legislative change (like that which exists in other States) to ensure farmers have the right to deny mining activity on their farms.

Proposed legislation wording:

MINING TENEMENTS ON PRIVATE LAND

Consent of the owner and occupier to grant in respect of surface land.

A mining tenement in respect of the natural surface and to within a depth of 30 metres thereof shall not be granted in respect of private land which is:

in bona fide and regular use as a yard, stockyard, garden, orchard, vineyard, plant nursery or plantation;
under cultivation (i.e. used for agriculture purposes including cropping or pasture, whether cleared or uncleared;
the site of a cemetery, burial ground or reservoir (i.e. a dam, bore, well or spring);
land on which the is erected a substantial improvement;
within 100 metres of any private land referred to above;
a separate parcel of land having an area of 2000 square metres or less:
except with the written consent of the owner and occupier of that land.

We aim to:

Create broad community understanding of “The Donald Project” and gain support for legislative change providing for greater control/ownership by Australia’s food producers on land where a mining licence has been granted.

We want:

Victorian politicians, including (Federal) Senators to engage with us, visit our farms, and support our food production.

The Victorian Minister, The Hon. Lily D'Ambrosio, Minister for Energy and Resources to visit our farms and lead Legislative change.

The Mining Company (Astron Corporation, owners of “The Donald Project”) to engage in genuine consultation and work with families to ensure mining occurs on land only where farmers give consent.