This week I met with the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) to talk about mining projects in Mallee and the potential impact on prime agricultural land.

Projects such as mineral sands mining or construction of transmission lines require proponents to complete a state Environmental Effects Statement (EES) on the possible impacts their development
may have on the environment.

I am meeting shortly with farmers at Lalbert about the VHM Goschen project and are telling me that putting a submission together in the 40-day EES timeline is nigh on impossible due to harvest pressures.

I was pleased MCA stated anyone can register their intention to make a submission via a one line email, which then gives a three month window to submit.

Agriculture is critical to our national and regional economies and is at the core of our Australian identity. Mineral sands mining looms as a major industry in Mallee but only if the local community gives a project social licence.

We also we need to see a greater commitment and investment in processing and manufacturing Australian minerals onshore.

Our sovereignty is at risk when we send our resources to China to process offshore.

China supplies Australia’s wind turbines and solar panels, but over the last few years recent Chinese sanctions have demonstrated the risks in over-reliance on one trading partner and a lack of Australian manufacturing, energy and defence capacity.

Labor Governments may be happy to railroad our farmers and threaten food security to appease inner city voters, but I will continue to fight to ensure our farmers are protected.