docbobdocs

Controversy has surrounded the investigation and eventual approval of three new mining projects in north-western Victoria. The prospect of significant disruption to cereal and oilseed cropping programs in fertile regions of the state has alarmed local farmers. Much of this protest is the prompted by self-interest, but it does no harm to the rest of us to take a closer look at the facts on the ground. This gives a broad impression of the deposits of rare earths and critical minerals that have been identified by exploratory drilling and survey. Only a portion of these areas have actually been selected under Retention Licence, which allows further specific and protected examination of sites by a mining company. And only a small fraction of these RLs have been granted an actual Mining Licence, committing each mining company to develop a mine and extract resource. GOSCHEN This map reveals the decreasing areas of land involved in the process of identifying, investigating and, finally, develo...