I’ve visited Horsham several times recently including catching up with the Horsham Rural City Council and I commend them for the constructive, community-focussed approach they are taking to various issues.

I support Council withdrawing from Wimmera Southern Mallee Development.  The democratically elected councillors have adopted the majority view of their communities, not the narrow investor perspective of WSMD.  Council, and neighbouring councils, will now stand apart from WSMD and promote their own initiatives for the region.

Wimmera mining and energy proposals have been front-and-centre of this WSMD debate, and I brought The Nationals’ federal Shadow Minister for Resources, Senator Susan McDonald, to Rupanyup and Horsham this week to listen to community views and the mining companies about mineral sands projects at Dooen, Minyip, Toolondo and beyond.

Senator McDonald and I met Iluka Resources and I continued lobbying them – as I have the Bureau of Meteorology – for an improved or new weather station at Kanagulk. The former Douglas mine site hosts an ageing weather station.  I am pleased to say a new installation is looking promising and I encourage all the parties to come to a resolution, as locals and farmers tell me the Kanagulk installation is valuable.

Rehabilitation of former mineral sands mines, like Douglas, remains at the forefront of farmers’ and community concerns about the Wimmera mining proposals.  The Nationals are pro-mining however when it occurs in prime agricultural land in the Wimmera there are special considerations, including genuine respectful community engagement and investment, and the need for assurance that productivity can return to pre-mining levels.  When mining occurs interstate on pastoral country the post-mining  impacts are less pronounced as what we have seen at Douglas and Ouyen, and potentially at Dooen and other mineral sands prospects.

Senator McDonald and I reinforced to Donald Mineral Sands and Iluka – as I have to all mining proponents – that social licence is paramount, and we don’t want to see farmers driven off their farms.  If mining proceeds, we must have harmonious co-existence and win-wins for the region.

It’s an honour to keep fighting for farming communities and working with those focussed on doing the same.