Status
On this page:
Background
Proponent: Gippsland Critical Minerals Pty Ltd
The Fingerboards Critical Minerals project located within the Glenaladale Deposit in the East Gippsland region of Victoria, approximately 200 kilometres (km) east of Melbourne and 25 km west of Bairnsdale. The Project is located on Gunaikurnai Land in East Gippsland Shire Council.
The Fingerboards Critical Minerals Project proposes to develop high-grade deposits of rare-earths and critical minerals listed on the Australian Government’s Critical Minerals List, over a 22-year operational period. The project is also expected to include an 18-month construction commencement phase, and 2-3 years of decommissioning and rehabilitation, following cessation of operations.
The Project is expected to produce 280,000 tonnes per year of zircon, rutile, ilmenite and rare-earth bearing minerals (monazite and xenotime), occurring in unconsolidated sediments close to the ground surface.
The main project activities include:
- Mining operations for 24 hours per day, 365 days per year
- Ore separation
- Transport of product via rail
- Tailings management
- Rehabilitation
- Water management
- Other ancillary infrastructure.
EES Preparation
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 are being prepared.
Consultation plan
Gippsland Critical Minerals Pty Ltd is preparing a communications and consultation plan for the EES, outlining the opportunities and approaches for community engagement during the preparation of the EES. This will be posted on this webpage once available.
The plan may be updated as required during the preparation of the EES. If the plan changes, the updated version will be posted on this page.
Quarterly consultation actions plans are also required to be prepared by the proponent, detailing key consultation items being undertaken for the quarter. This will be made available on this webpage.
Technical Reference Group
The Department of Transport and Planning has convened an inter-agency Technical Reference Group at the request of the Minister for Planning to advise the department 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 organisations represented on the Technical Reference group are:
- Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) Agriculture Victoria
- DEECA Planning and Environment Assessment
- DEECA Resources Victoria
- DTP Regional Planning Services (Gippsland)
- East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority
- East Gippsland Shire Council
- East Gippsland Water
- Environment Protection Authority
- First Peoples - State Relations
- Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation
- Southern Rural Water
- West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority.
Technical Reference Group representatives are supported by technical experts on specific aspects of the EES studies.
Minister’s decision on referral
Gippsland Critical Minerals Pty Ltd referred the Fingerboards Critical Minerals project under the Environment Effects Act 1978 (EE Act), a new, modified version of the Fingerboards mining proposal (called the Fingerboards Mineral Sands Project) previoulsy assessed under the EE Act in 2021.
On 14 February 2026, the Minister for Planning required Gippsland Critical Minerals to prepare an EES, under the EE Act, to assess the potential environmental effects of the project. This is a new EES decision for this newly proposed Fingerboards Critical Minerals project.
Project contact
If you have any questions or feedback, please get in touch with the Impact Assessment Unit via the contact details at the top, right-hand corner of the page.
Please reach out to the proponent on project related questions:.
Gippsland Critical Minerals Pty Ltd
☎ Phone: 1800 791 396
✉ Email: contactus@gippslandcriticalminerals.com
Page last updated: 10/06/26