Luke 
GCM held its sixth Community Reference Group (CRG) meeting on 19 February, 2026. The CRG notes and slides have now been reviewed by the CRG members, and are available below. Previous CRG meeting materials are available on our news and resources page, as well as our community engagement page.
Gippsland Critical Minerals (GCM) welcomes today’s determination by the Commonwealth on the Fingerboards Project under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The Commonwealth has confirmed four controlling provisions, with GCM’s environmental and technical studies already underway in response to each: The determination is standard and in line with GCM expectations. As such, GCM has already commenced studies in … Read more
Gippsland Critical Minerals (GCM) has launched live weather monitoring on its website, giving the East Gippsland community real-time access to on-site conditions at the Fingerboards Project. Available now via the Monitoring & Studies page, the live feed draws data from two on-site weather stations: one south-west of the Fingerboards intersection and a second on the Mitchell River plateau, installed in response … Read more
Work has begun at the Fingerboards Project Mining and Rehabilitation Demonstration Pit (MRDP), following local contractors successfully completing site mobilisation and pre-start inspections. Six additional East Gippsland businesses have now been engaged to support activities at the MRDP, with more than 20 local contractors sharing in procurement contracts now valued at more than $1.4 million. … Read more
Gippsland Critical Minerals held its second community webinar for 2026 on Thursday 9 April 2026. The webinar included a discussion on: • EPBC referral and approvals process• Ongoing baseline monitoring• Mining and Rehabilitation Demonstration Pit (MRDP)• Draft mining schedule overview• Community workshops GCM is also meeting with landholders whose properties sit within the proposed project … Read more
The Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has published Gippsland Critical Minerals’ EPBC referral for the Fingerboards Project. The referral is now open for public comment until 10 April 2026. You can view the application and supporting documents on the Department’s website, including: If you have any questions about the … Read more
GCM’s February 2026 Newsletter includes an update on the work happening on the ground with local businesses engaged in the Demonstration Pit, progress on our ongoing technical and environmental studies, new opportunities for you to get involved, and more. This is a digital copy of the Newsletter that went to print in the Gippsland Times … Read more
Gippsland Critical Minerals’ redesigned Fingerboards Project has been awarded Major Project Status (MPS) by the Australian Government recognising its global supply impacts, economic benefits and its alignment with national interest. Senator The Hon Tim Ayres, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science has awarded Major Project Status to the Fingerboards Project for a period of 3 … Read more
Bairnsdale-based Human Resources Manager Rebecca Morrall has been selected as the recipient of the Gippsland Critical Minerals (GCM) Community Scholarship for the 2026 Gippsland Community Leadership Program (GCLP). The GCM scholarship supports the place of an East Gippslander in GCLP, one of Australia’s longest running regional leadership programs, building leadership capability, confidence and strong local … Read more
Gippsland Critical Minerals’ (GCM) redesigned Fingerboards Project has achieved another major milestone, with the Victorian Minister for Planning announcing that the project will undertake an Environment Effects Statement (EES). The Ministers decision recognises that the rescoped project is materially different from the proposal considered in 2021 and warrants new assessment. “This is a fantastic outcome that reflects the significance of the changes we have made to the … Read more
