General News
17 January, 2026
Donald Project pipeline finished
Despite a protest by local landholders and community members in October, the 14km Minyip-Banyena pipeline to provide water to the Donald Mineral Sands Rare Earth and Mineral Sands project has been completed.
Despite a protest by local landholders and community members in October, the 14km Minyip-Banyena pipeline to provide water to the Donald Mineral Sands Rare Earth and Mineral Sands project has been completed.
Almost 100 people in trucks, vehicles, and tractors held up the project as part of their ongoing objection, with many locals concerned about agricultural land being used for mining and water allocations.
The new pipeline runs in the road reserve from Minyip Rural Pump Station, along Minyip-Banyena Road and Gun Club Road, to the Donald Project site off Walsh Lane.
"Completing this pipeline is an important step for the Donald Project," DMS managing director, Tiger Brown, said.
“We're pleased to have worked with local contractors to deliver quality infrastructure that connects us to the regional water network and demonstrates our commitment to responsible development.”
Horsham-based construction company CHS Contractors installed the pipeline across four months, beginning in August 2025.
The spokesperson for DMS said 40 locally based workers were employed during the 20-week installation period of the pipeline.
"There were 1897 lengths of pipe used, and the pipeline will have a 100L/s design flow rate, and it crossed one creek,” they said.
In addition to landholders' objections to agricultural land being used for mining, strong questions about the mine's water use have been raised at community meetings and protests.
Water Allocation
The DMS spokesperson said it holds an annual allocation of 6.975GL and expects to use about 2.4GL per year, or about a third of that.
"The water entitlement comes from savings GWMWater’s Wimmera Mallee Pipeline Project generated by replacing 17,500km of evaporation and seepage-prone open channels with closed pipe," they said.
"GWMWater allocated 20GL of the saved water for intensive agriculture, viticulture, and mining. DMS bought the allocation in 2011 for $17.95m.”
"It has since paid around $8.3m in headworks payments while unconnected to the network. GWMWater says this has helped keep water prices lower in the region.”
GWMWater confirmed that the supply would not affect service standards for other customers and that the pipeline extension would become part of GWMWater’s network infrastructure.
“The original investment by DMS in 2011, which secured water from the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline savings, has played a significant role in keeping water prices affordable for our region," GWMWater managing director Mark Williams said.
“With the completion of the pipeline, DMS will now meet its obligation to fund the reinstatement of pumping capacity at the Lubeck Pump.
“This will unlock unused pipe capacity, ensuring that the benefits of affordable water continue to be shared by all GWMWater customers.”
Resources Victoria's Deputy Chief Inspector West inspected the Donald Project site in November, focusing on risks and planning ahead of construction.
"He viewed the new pipeline and locations for other key site infrastructure, including the tailings storage facility, process plant, mine blocks, and surface water dams," they said.
The Donald Project
The Donald Project, near Minyip, in Victoria's Murray Basin, is a globally significant deposit of critical minerals. The project features a total mineral resource of 1.81 billion tonnes with a planned 58+ year mine life over two phases.
The resource will produce zirconium, titanium, and rare earth elements, including neodymium and praseodymium, supporting technologies vital to clean energy, defence, and advanced manufacturing.
DMS is targeting site construction in 2026 and first production in 2027, subject to securing project financing and completing a positive final investment decision (FID).
DMS and Astron
Donald Project Pty Ltd, trading as Donald Mineral Sands (DMS), is developing the Donald Project.
It is a joint venture between ASX-listed Astron Limited and US critical minerals producer Energy Fuels.
Astron Limited (ASX: ATR) is an Australian-based ASX-listed company. Astron's prime focus is the development of the Donald Project.
Astron also conducts a mineral sands trading operation.