General News
10 June, 2026
Working group to advise on mining land rehab
A working group has been set up by the Victorian Government for the purpose of strengthening mine rehabilitation requirements for agricultural land in the Wimmera Mallee.
Energy and Resource minister, Lily D’Ambrosio on Monday, June 1, announced the formation of the Mineral Sands Agricultural Land Restoration Working Group, bringing together farmers, experts and the resources sector to provide advice on land restoration.
The working group will address concerns about the impact of mineral sands development on the long-term productivity of agricultural land, including how soil productivity can be restored and over what timeframe.
The group will be chaired by Monash University Professor Mohan Yellishetty, an expert in sustainable mineral resource development.
The Victorian Farmers Federation, local catchment management authorities, the Yarriambiack and Horsham Rural City municipalities, Agriculture Victoria and the Minerals Council of Australia representatives will form the group.
“Restoring agricultural land in the Wimmera Mallee following mineral sands development is a critical part of the mining process, not an optional add-on,” Ms D’Ambrosio said.
Lowan MP and Agriculture shadow minister, Emma Kealy, said the group was a step in the right direction, but far more protections were needed for agriculture.
Among her key concerns were the lack of monitoring of mining companies’ activities, the lack of accessible, trustworthy information available to affected communities, and what protections are in place for landholders.
Ms Kealy said she had for years advocated the Premier organise community forums in the region with key government departments, and that the government initiate a comprehensive review of the state’s mineral sands mining regulatory framework to strengthen safeguards for productive farmland.
Ms Kealy said the government had so far failed to do either.
“The working group is a step in the right direction in ensuring that our communities and particularly the agricultural sector has a voice in this issue,” she said.
“However, it is incredibly frustrating and upsetting for farmers and communities dealing with these projects to have waited so long for the government to recognise how crucial it is that their views and expertise are considered.
“For too long, the voice of agriculture and our local farmers have not been included in discussions around these types of developments, despite the huge impact such projects have on the agricultural sector.”
The Horsham Rural City Council agreed and said the benefit of the working group was to help develop best-practice guidelines for the restoration of agricultural land post-mineral sands mining in northwest Victoria.
“The Wimmera Southern Mallee region has some of the most productive agricultural land in the country, and it’s important that any mine footprint can be rehabilitated so that this productivity isn’t lost to future generations at the end of these projects,” a HRCC spokesperson said.
“This is essential to ensure food security into the future. Ideally, mineral sands mining shouldn’t be at the expense of prime agricultural land, and until rehabilitation processes can ensure land can be restored to pre-mine productivity, it will be a challenge for proponents to build social licence.
“HRCC will be working to make sure the working group understands this point and advocating for any changes to legislation that can strengthen rehabilitation processes.”
The spokesperson said the working group should allow for “a process for scientific data and local knowledge to be fed into any process of guideline development”.
“One of HRCC’s roles will be to ensure a range of experts such as soil scientists, agronomists and local farmers who have been working this land for generations are given the opportunity to provide information to the working group so that outcomes are balanced and based on data and evidence.”
The Yarriambiack Shire Council also welcomed the announcement and said it followed extensive councillor advocacy and strongly aligned with its Position Statement on Mining, Renewable Energy and Transmission Lines.
“I am pleased that the restoration of our prime agricultural land is part of the mining process, and that our farmers will be able to share their experience and expertise,” mayor Andrew McLean said.