Victoria’s largest gold producer, the Fosterville gold mine, has received State Government approval to expand its operations – with the green light expected to significantly boost the local economy.
Last week, Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny signed off on the Environment Effects Statement (EES) for Fosterville’s expansion, which caps off a four-year-long assessment process.
Kilkenny’s report found that potential impacts of the sustained operations project can be acceptably managed, provided that strengthened environmental management practices and amended mitigation measures are adopted.
Located 20km east of Bendigo, the Agnico Eagle-owned project will now be able to continue its operation within the existing mining licence for at least the next 10 years.
It also includes new tailings storage facilities, waste rock storages and water management programs, as well as supporting infrastructure.
The endorsement from the Victorian Government will additionally lead to a gross regional product increase of $1.3 billion dollars over the next 10 years.
The Fosterville mine currently directly employs more than 800 people, and this is expected to increase to more than 1000 workers as a result of the expansion.
“This endorsement reflects the dedication of our team and the valuable input of community members, technical experts, and government representatives,” Agnico Eagle vice president of Australian operations Ion Hann said.
“We’re grateful for the engagement throughout the EES process and remain committed to responsible mining and transparent communication
“We will continue to do what we have always done – investing locally, fostering meaningful relationships with our business partners and suppliers, and working with our neighbours and surrounding communities to benefit our great region.”
After receiving the EES, the project will now go through mining and EPA approvals as well as Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 approval from the Federal Government.
The next stage of development will be the assessment of a work plan to ensure all EES recommendations are met in their mining operations and to ensure the operator can be held accountable.
