Community Update from Gippsland Critical Minerals

Michelle Wood, CEO

Gippsland Critical Minerals (GCM) places community engagement at the heart of how we operate. We value open dialogue and welcome the many perspectives that help shape the Fingerboards Project.

We are aware of an event being promoted by a statewide anti-mining protest group on 8 October.

Community members have every right to gather and share their views and GCM respects their decision to do so. The town-hall event format chosen by organisers is no longer considered best practice, with safety and inclusivity concerns cited as the primary reasons.

GCM will always put the safety of the community, our staff and contractors first. While we were not invited by organisers to present information based on the redesigned 2025 project, it is for these reasons we will not be participating.

Our approach is to create safe, accessible and respectful spaces where people can seek information, ask questions and provide feedback. This is why GCM has expanded the Community Reference Group, opened a new office in Bairnsdale, and continues to host regular drop-in sessions, webinars and direct engagement with landholders and residents.

We believe every voice in the community deserves to be heard, which is why we have sought meetings with the anti-mining group on at least 8 occasions, as recently as two weeks ago. To date, they have refused each invitation to be briefed by GCM’s project experts.

As a result, much of their commentary continues to rely on outdated information from the 2021 proposal, not the redesigned 2025 project now under assessment. The current project is materially different in scope, safeguards and design.

Put simply, if you are not in contact with the project proponents, you cannot have the most recent facts about the proposal.

We encourage all community members to seek information directly from GCM, where they can access accurate, up-to-date and independently verified details about the Fingerboards Project.

GCM is committed to delivering more than a mine. The Freight Rail Task Force is focused on securing reliable rail freight services for East Gippsland, and the Young Farmers Program is helping the next generation onto the land through reduced-rate leases.

At the same time, we continue to work closely with community representatives to identify future opportunities that can contribute to prosperity across the region. We encourage any member of the public to share their ideas for a stronger future for East Gippsland.

The 2025 Fingerboards Project has been materially redesigned - with a smaller footprint, a 1.5 kilometre horticulture buffer, rail-first logistics, stronger water safeguards and a clear plan for progressive land rehabilitation.

These changes have been designed with community input to better protect the air, land and water that matter most. The Demonstration Pit will provide clear evidence, led by science and under real conditions, of how the Fingerboards Project can be mined, refilled and restored.

To date, we have met with a broad range of organisations, individuals, landowners, farmers and businesses. This engagement has occurred well before any regulatory requirement to do so at this early stage.

The Fingerboards Project is also about delivering long-term opportunity for the region. We are generating more than 300 direct jobs and hundreds more indirect roles, backed by a local-first procurement policy to ensure East Gippsland businesses benefit first.

Partnerships with local universities and TAFEs will help train the next generation of workers and upskill the existing workforce. The economic benefits will be lasting, flowing to local businesses of every size - from chicken shops to local hotels - for decades to come.

East Gippsland’s labour market is already under pressure. Modelled estimates put the unemployment rate at 6.1% in December 2024, up from 4.2% a year earlier. At the same time, the region is undergoing structural change, with the closure of forestry operations and coal mines bringing fresh challenges.

The Fingerboards Project is a resource unlike any other in Victoria. In 2021 it was a zircon mine, but today it is a heavy rare earths resource. Independent analysis by Adamas Intelligence confirms it contains the rare earths most in demand globally - neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium.

East Gippsland cannot afford to stand still. We are working hard to deliver a project that protects and benefits existing local industries while backing regional businesses to keep doing what they do best. It is important we stand for something - not just against it.

For the latest from GCM and details of upcoming sessions visit gippslandcriticalminerals.com. Get in contact with our team by email contact@gippslandcriticalminerals.com or call 1800 966 401.

Michelle Wood

Chief Executive OfficerGippsland Critical Minerals