Victoria’s resources regulator has approved a 20-year licence for a contentious mineral sands mine in the state’s west, despite strong local resistance.
Resources Victoria issued the licence to WIM Resource for its Avonbank project at Dooen, about 15 kilometres north-east of Horsham. It covers heavy mineral sands, including zircon, titanium and rare earth elements, which go into everyday technology and renewable energy infrastructure.
The Chinese-backed company plans to operate around the clock across a site of roughly 3,400 hectares. Over a planned 36-year life, it intends to extract 12.75 million tonnes of heavy mineral concentrate.
WIM Resource says construction could start late next year and mining in 2029, subject to funding and further construction and environmental approvals. Executives Eddy Wu and Michael Winternitz described the licence as a significant milestone for Avonbank and for the wider Wimmera Southern Mallee region.
Resources Victoria director for regulatory operations Laura Helm said the decision followed “diligent assessment work by numerous agencies and departments at both the state and Commonwealth level”.
Residents and the local council have pushed back hard. The council has previously called the company’s response to community concerns “disgusting”.
Cr Klowss said many in the community felt their voices had not been heard, and that he was “dubious” about the site’s rehabilitation plans. While some concerns had been considered, he said questions remained about real-time air monitoring and a potential mining licence for the nearby freight hub.
“They’re devastated about what it’s going to do to our community,” he said.
Cr Klowss said he had been told to expect a licensing decision in January, and that former planning minister Lily D’Ambrosio and current minister Sonya Kilkenny would not speak to the council about the mine.
“I’m actually probably curious to know why the decision was made now,” he said.
