Thursday, 19 February 2026

 Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (18:27): (2340) My adjournment matter concerns a family in my electorate and how a proposed mineral sands project affects them, and my action is to the Minister for Energy and Resources. The Johns family has farmed at Dooen, near Horsham, since 1884, for seven generations. The threat to their property is more emotional than financial. When Don Johns passed away in 2017 his final wish was to have his ashes placed by the trees on the family farm where he had played as a boy. That is where his ashes rest today. Now his family has been told that a 30-year open-cut mine may be dug through that land, and they have three choices: to sell, lease or spend money they do not have fighting it through VCAT. I want to be clear. I am absolutely avowedly not anti mining on principle, but the fact is that we have to have a fit-for-purpose planning and approval system to deal with cases like this.

Mining is a legitimate industry and rare earths matter strategically, but legitimate industry requires a legitimate process. If we are to avoid a generalised backlash against any mining, we need to get it right. The Johns case is the microcosm, but zooming out we see that nearly 400,000 hectares of the Wimmera and Mallee are under retention licence. This is the most productive cropping country in Victoria, land that feeds Australia and contributes enormously to our export economy. We must ask hard questions about what we are prepared to sacrifice and for whose benefit.

The assessment of agricultural impact in this state relies too heavily on information provided by the proponent. A Liberal–Nationals government would change that. We have made a clear policy commitment which would require genuinely independent assessment of agricultural land value and productivity before any mining licence is granted, not a report commissioned by the company seeking to profit from the project. We would also require mandatory, fully funded rehabilitation plans with real security bonds so that if a mining company walks away after 30 years it is not the farmer or the taxpayer left with the degraded land. Minister, the action I seek is that you match our commitment today and institute an independent audit of the cumulative agricultural impact of these proposals before any further licences are granted.