Environmental assessment
Fingerboards Environment Effects Statement
The Fingerboards Critical Minerals Project is undergoing an Environment Effects Statement (EES), Victoria’s most comprehensive and transparent environmental assessment process.
The EES will assess the project’s potential environmental, social and economic effects and the measures proposed to avoid, minimise or manage them.
Current StageÂ
Preparing impact assessment and undertaking studies
In October 2026 following public consultation, the Department of Transport and Planning issued the final scoping requirements that set out the matters that GCM must document in preparing the EES. These studies are underway and will inform the environmental assessment process for the Fingerboards Project.Â
Why is an EES being undertaken?
On 14 February 2026, the Victorian Minister for Planning determined that Gippsland Critical Minerals must prepare a new Environment Effects Statement (EES), under the Environment Effects (EE) Act 1978, to assess the project’s potential environmental effects.
The decision recognises that the Fingerboards Critical Minerals Project has been materially rescoped from the proposal assessed in 2021 and and therefore warrants fresh assessment under the EE Act.Â
Commonwealth approval
The project also requires approval under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The EES process is being undertaken as an accredited assessment, under the Bilateral Agreement between the Commonwealth and Victoria. The Victorian EES process will assess potential impacts on matters of national environmental significance and inform decisions under both assessment processes.
This reduces duplication by allowing a single assessment process to examine the project and its impacts, and in turn inform all decision-making.
What happens next
GCM will continue its technical and environmental studies and prepare the EES in line with the final scoping requirements. Once completed, the EES will be released for public comment and an inquiry process will commence, currently planned for mid 2027.
Further information about the EES process is available from the Department’s Impact Assessment Unit at environment.assessment@transport.vic.gov.au or on (03) 8572 7980, Monday to Friday. Information is also available at planning.vic.gov.au/environmental-assessments.
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