Victorian Farmers Launch Fight to Protect Farmland from Mining Expansion
NORTHWEST VICTORIA – farmers in VictoriaS fertile northwest are escalating their opposition to mining operations, fearing the potential loss of prime agricultural land and the long-term viability of their livelihoods. A petition is underway to change state legislation,seeking greater rights for farmers to refuse mining activity on or near their properties,as a mining company,Astron Limited,moves forward with a rare earths project.
The region, a notable grain-producing area for 150 years, is now facing a potential shift as mining for radioactive materials gains traction. Farmers cultivate wheat, barley, canola, lentils, and hay, contributing substantially to Victoria’s food supply. Concerns center around potential contamination of water sources and land, as well as the effectiveness of mine site rehabilitation.
“The radioactive materials that are being mined, how do we know that’s not going to go on the roof and go into our water?” asked Sara Trotter, a fourth-generation farmer who raised her four children on the family farm. She expressed a feeling of abandonment, stating, “I sort of feel like the government’s against us, against farmers at the moment, and we just, we have nothing, we no one is helping us.”
The Trotter family’s farm is emblematic of the broader anxieties within the farming community. Sara’s son,Riley,hopes to inherit the farm from his father,but the family questions its future sustainability given the proximity of mining operations.Farmers point to a nearby former mine site as evidence of unsuccessful rehabilitation efforts.
“The farmers there are really smart,resilient,excellent farmers… and they can’t get anything to grow on this land,” said a farmer named Milgate,highlighting the lasting impact on agricultural productivity. Concerns have also been raised about Astron Limited’s lack of practical mining experience. “Astron have never dug a shovel full of dirt in their life,so that’s what we really struggle with. How can you tell us you know what you’re doing when you’ve literally never done it?” Milgate explained.
Farmers are seeking legislative changes to mirror those in Western Australia, where they have the right to refuse mining on their land.
Astron Limited declined to provide a statement suitable for publication, directing inquiries to their website (http://www.thedonaldproject.com.au).The Victorian Government maintains that the mining project will inject billions of dollars into the state and create up to 7,000 jobs in northwest Victoria. They also stated that rehabilitation will be “done progressively,” with areas restored during mine development, and a scheme is being developed to share the benefits of mining with the community.
