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Project overview
The Fingerboards Project
The Fingerboards Project will access a nationally significant deposit of rare earth elements and critical minerals that are vital to support new technologies in renewable energy, computing, defence and medical science.
Gippsland Critical Minerals (GCM) is committed to developing the Fingerboards mineral deposit in a way that delivers real value and benefit for the communities and people of Gippsland and respects the important environmental, cultural, and economic values of the region.
Delivering value and benefit to East Gippsland
More local jobs, stronger economy
Gippsland Critical Minerals is committed to developing the Fingerboards Project in a way that puts community decision-making at its heart, and that delivers real value and benefit for the communities and people of Gippsland.
Through a strong local employment and procurement policy, the Fingerboards Project is expected to create over 200 local jobs for the life of the mine, primarily in the fields of geology, construction, engineering and environmental management.
GCM will collaborate with TAFE and other local training providers to develop long-term career opportunities for local people and work cooperatively with other important regional industries such as agriculture. It is estimated the project will contribute approximately $30 million each year to the Victorian economy through new income opportunities, royalties and tax payments to the State Government.
The Fingerboards Project is backed by Appian Capital Advisory, a world leader in the development of critical minerals projects. Appian plans to make a staged investment of over $150 million in the Fingerboards Project, which will help strengthen local infrastructure including roads and rail to minimise traffic impacts for the local community.
Responsible environmental management
Gippsland Critical Minerals is committed to being a responsible custodian of the land and natural environment. We recognise that best-in-class environmental management is critical to excellent operational performance, to successfully co-existing with the local agricultural and horticultural industries and to building community trust.
The Fingerboards Project will extract rare-earth minerals from the ground with world-leading processes and technologies designed to minimise and mitigate environmental impacts.
Unlike a traditional open cut mine, the Fingerboards Project will use strip mining techniques that involve continuous backfill and progressive rehabilitation of the land.
As part of the rehabilitation process, GCM has invested in a nursery to grow native seedlings with plans to restore the landscape with up to 200 hectares of nationally threatened grassy redgum woodland on ex-plantation forestry lands. GCM reaffirms its commitment to meet its obligations and rehabilitate the land much of which is marginal or poor quality for agricultural use.
Strengthening community engagement
After work to develop the Fingerboards critical minerals opportunity over the past decade, Gippsland Critical Minerals knows it has to do things differently to create a successful project. GCM has made a renewed commitment to developing the Fingerboards Project based on community informed decision-making.
We are committed to putting the community at the centre of our project to ensure it delivers real value and benefit for the communities and people of Gippsland.
This includes more opportunities for stakeholders and the community to have their say in key aspects of the project, as well as opportunities for the community, businesses and industry groups to hear from our experts and project managers.
Local residents and businesses will be able to hear and share feedback as well as co-develop initiatives to deliver meaningful community benefit sharing. GCM will also provide regular and transparent reporting on its activities.
GCM also recognises the importance of engaging Traditional Owners. This includes work to maintain cultural association with the land, protecting First Nations cultural heritage, and providing opportunities for benefit sharing from the project.