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
Finalising the scoping requirements
In August 2026, the Department of Transport and Planning released draft scoping requirements setting out the matters GCM must investigate and document in the EES. Public consultation has now closed, and the Department is reviewing submissions before the Minister for Planning finalises the requirements. The final version is expected to be published in late September or early October 2026.
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
The Department of Transport and Planning will review all submissions on the draft scoping requirements before the Minister for Planning issues the final requirements, expected in late September or early October 2026.
GCM will continue its technical and environmental studies and prepare the EES in line with the final requirements. Once completed, the EES will be released for public comment and an inquiry process will commence, currently planned for early 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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