Speaking exclusively with the Wimmera Mail-Times, Dooen farmers shared the impact the proposed 3600-hectare Avonbank Mineral Sands Mine around the Wimmera Intermodal Freight Terminal will have on them, their farms, their families, and their health.
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The proposed mine will operate for 36 years.
"Dealing with this is worse than dealing with a drought, " Dooen farmer Gavin Puls said.
"We know what to do in drought, but with this, we don't; there are so many unknowns, and we feel powerless."
The Avonbank Mineral Sands Mine 15 kilometres north-east of Horsham, is subject to an environmental effects statement (EES) that was undertaken by the State Planning Minister.
The Horsham Rural City Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with WIM Resources, the company behind the mine proposal, to ensure benefits for the community, including jobs and economic benefits.
"The question we are all asking is why the government and the council would even consider handing over prime farming land for mining," Mr Puls said.
He pointed to a survey conducted by a local land agents that found the valuable black Wimmera Plains ground was rated the second most productive cropping land in the country.
The group of local farmers said they believed it was rare for prime farmland to be given a licence to mine, and they hope a licence will not be granted for the Dooen site.
The Dooen project proposes to involve mining the Avonbank ore body to produce a premium quality mineral sands product, mainly comprising of zircon titanium-rich mineral concentrate and minor amounts of rare earth products.
The products extracted can be used in ceramics, digital printing, dentistry and electrical components.
However, the farmers said they wanted to continue with their sustainable agriculture businesses and felt disappointed HRCC did not consult with them before signing the MoU.
The emotional and mental pressure is taking its toll.
Many tears have been shed.
"Every night you wake up thinking about it; every day on the tractor on your own, you think about it," said one grower, "We've had ten years of it already," said another.
"We're farmers," Nikki Phillips said, "not negotiators."
Thirty-two generations of farming unite
Mr Puls is a sixth-generation Dooen farmer and had plans to hand over the farm to his son Cooper, but those plans are now uncertain.
"When the mining company approached me, I told them I wasn't interested, but here we are, at the pointy end of the situation, and it appears we have no say."
He is not alone; the farmers speaking to Wimmera Mail-Times represented a collective of 32 generations of farmers, and more have talked since.
One thousand acres of Mr Puls's cropping land is inside the mine boundary, about 800 metres from his house.
"If this goes ahead, I'll feel guilty, as if I let the generations before me down and those to follow."
"My family moved here in 1873, and we have farmed the land since then, and that's all I want to do."
"I want to put seeds in the ground and let them grow. It's simple, really," he said.
He questioned whether the grain stored in his silos, less than a kilometre from the mine boundary, would be accepted for export or if it would be downgraded due to dust drift from the processing plant.
Mr John Ladlow will lose a third of his cropping land. He leases the land and will not be eligible if compensation is offered.
Parents won't live to see the farm returned.
Nuffield Scholar Mr Dean Johns represented his parents, Robert and Joan Johns.
"Mum and Dad are in their 80s, which is too much for them. My sister and I keep them informed, but we need to do that carefully," he said.
His family settled on their farm in 1884; he is the fifth generation to grow up at the property.
"Our whole property is inside the mine boundaries. We can't live there and won't be able to use the property for over 30 years, nor will those leasing land from us."
"Mum and Dad won't see the farm returned to us, and I'll be their age before it is," he said.
About 400 hectares of Mr and Mrs Chris Johns's property will be within the mining site, and they'll lose the use of the land the family has farmed since 1877.
Their son Lachie has settled on the farm but now faces an uncertain future.
"I can't understand how this can happen, and we have no say. I don't know what I'll do," he said.
He described the challenges facing him and his family in one word - "daunting."
There is the possibility of a sand bank being created around their home by the Mining Company to create a form of protection, but Chris Johns said, "I don't want to look at a sandbank; I want to look at the sunset; we all live here for the lifestyle, the peace."
Jason and Nikki Phillips operate a business from leased land inside the mine site boundary, but this has been excluded from the site recently. The 24-7 noise and lighting will still impact them.
Their son Brent runs sheep on 6ha within the mine site and must leave his house.
"It's only 15 acres (6ha), but Mum and Dad's income depends on the property, and I don't want them to have to live so close to the mining operations," he said.
Andrea and Fletcher Mills heard that a future exploration license in the region may impact their property and were interested to learn more.
Mr Darren Mills is a fifth-generation farmer. His property will not be mined, but WIM Resouces wants his land for the stockpile of sand.
"I'll lose about a quarter of my property for 30 years, and I can't live there," he said.
Similarly, Mr Scott Johns will lose access to 400ha of land. He is the fifth generation to farm the land that will be 'dug up."
"We were approached by a windfarm company to have turbines on our place a while ago, but as soon as they heard about the mine, they said they were no longer interested," he said.
Another of their concerns is the financial capability of WIM Resources to follow through.
'This is worse than dealing with a drought.'
"We know what to do in a drought, but with this, there is so much we don't know," Mr. Puls said.
Recent documentation provided by WIM Resource Pty Ltd shows that of the 200 construction jobs planned during the first year, 150 will be imported, and 50 will be available to locals.
They claim Horsham can absorb new residents associated with commercial projects without undesirable demographic or social consequences and believe this to be sustainable.
They acknowledge that some of the property owners are opposed to displacement.
According to WIM Resources, six dwellings will be vacated, increased traffic noise will impact ten houses, and the impact on medical services is already part of future planning.
In an overview of the project, WIM Resources stated there would be a 12-month establishment phase, a 30-year mining and rehabilitation operational life, a 3-year decommissioning, and a final closure phase. They will operate 365 days per year, 24 hours a day, with 500,000 tonnes of heavy mineral concentrate (HMC) removed each year.
The Project aims to generate and maintain significant long-term employment and economic activity in Victoria and the WSM region.
They estimated an additional 360 vehicles would use local roads every 24 hours, seven days a week.
The mine will be a moving hole, progressive mining sequence with no more than 400ha active at any one time.
"This has made us stronger as a community, but it has changed how I think about some people; I understand they are thinking about the benefits to Horsham, but it will come at our cost; I spend between $10,000 and $15,000 a month at some Horsham businesses," Mr Puls said.
"They don't understand the details and who it will affect."
"Everyone needs a farmer at least three times a day," he said, "We need the community to support us now."
mining and rehabilitation operational life
Planning Panel Victoria is hearing submissions from stakeholders in Horsham during August before deciding if the licence to mine will be granted.
Several of the farmers have engaged lawyers who will represent them, others will represent themselves, and one has been told by his lawyer they can no longer represent him, citing a conflict of interest.
The farmers who spoke to the WMT have not accepted compensation.
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