Status
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Background
Proponent: Fosterville Gold Mine Pty Ltd
The Fosterville Gold Mine Sustained Operations Project proposes activities that are required to support the continuation of existing gold mining operations at Fosterville Gold Mine for at least another ten years. These activities include:
- an extension of current underground mining operations in MIN5404 to the south, north and west;
- cutbacks (extension) to existing open pits;
- construction and operation of new tailings storage facilities within existing tailings compound or within existing open pits;
- construction and operation of a new brine evaporation pond;
- construction of a new waste rock dump;
- transfer/sale of carbon in leach (CIL) tailings; and
- management of waste paste and a managed aquifer recharge (MAR) program to inject treated mine water to the fractured rock aquifer.
Mining operations would continue as per the current operation, with ore mined using the same underground mining methods and processed through the same treatment plant. The Sustained Operations Project does not propose any increase in mining rates above the nominal capacity of the existing processing plant or changes to existing approved mining and processing methods.
Minister's assessment
The Minister for Planning completed her assessment for this project under the Environment Effects Act 1978 on 15 May 2025. This concludes the EES process for this project.
In March 2025 the Minister for Planning requested specific further information from the proponent to inform the Minister’s Assessment of the project. Fosterville Gold Mine Pty Ltd provided its response on 17 April 2025, as set out in Appendix C of the Minister’s assessment.
The proponent and statutory agencies/bodies have received the assessment to inform their statutory decision-making, including the Commonwealth Minister for the Environment and Water, to inform his decision about the project under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
The Minister’s assessment under the Environment Effects Act 1978 concludes that the environmental effects of the project are generally acceptable, provided the project is modified and environmental management measures are refined and adopted consistent with the findings of the Minister’s assessment.
Public review and Inquiry
Inquiry
The Fosterville Gold Mine Sustained Operations Project Inquiry was appointed by the Minister for Planning to consider the environmental effects of the project.
See Planning Panels Victoria Fosterville Gold Mine Sustained Operations Project Inquiry
EES exhibition
The environment effects statement for the Fosterville Gold Mine Sustained Operations Project was publicly exhibited for comment for 30 business days from Monday 22 July 2024 and 11.59pm on Friday 30 August 2024.
You can view the environment effects statement and any related documents at Sustained Operations Project.
EES preparation
Consultation plan
Fosterville Gold Mine Pty Ltd has prepared a communication and consultation plan for the EES, outlining the opportunities and approaches for its community engagement during the preparation of the EES.
The consultation plan may be adapted or modified to meet changing community needs and requirements throughout the EES process.
Technical reference group
DEECA will convene an inter-agency technical reference group at the request of the Minister for Planning to advise DEECA and the proponent on scoping and adequacy of the EES studies and documentation, as well as co-ordination of the EES process with other statutory processes for the project.
The government organisations represented on the Technical Reference Group are:
- DEECA Planning Group
- DEECA Forest, Fire and Regions (Loddon Mallee)
- Department of Economic Development Jobs Transport and Resources (Earth Resources Regulation)
- First Peoples – State Relations
- Heritage Victoria
- Environment Protection Authority Victoria
- Parks Victoria
- Goulburn-Murray Water
- North Central Catchment Management Authority
- Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation
- City of Greater Bendigo
Technical reference group representatives are supported by internal experts on specific aspects of the EES studies.
Scoping requirements
The scoping requirements set out the matters to be investigated and documented in the environment effects statement (EES).
Draft scoping requirements for this EES were on public exhibition from 18 May until 7 June 2022.
After considering public submissions on the draft scoping requirements, the Minister for Planning issued final scoping requirements in September 2022.
Minister's decision on referral
On 10 November 2021 the Minister for Planning required Fosterville Gold Mine Pty Ltd to prepare an Environment Effects Statement (EES) under the Environment Effects Act 1978 to assess the potential environmental effects of the project.
Project contact
If you have any questions or feedback, please get in touch via the contact details below.
Fosterville Gold Mine Sustained Operations Project
Fosterville Gold Mine Pty Ltd, care of RMCG
☎ Phone: (03) 5441 4821
✉ Email: FostervilleEES@rmcg.com.au
Page last updated: 26/05/25