Astron gets govt nod for Victorian rare earth-mineral sands mine
The work plan approval, granted by Resources Victoria's earth resources regulator, marks the final major hurdle before full-scale development can begin at the 42-year life-of-mine project, 15 kilometres east of Minyip. The approval is a critical step for DMS and a major win for Australia's rare earths and critical minerals sector.
Under the joint venture agreement, Energy Fuels is set to earn up to a 49 per cent stake in DMS by injecting $183 million into staged funding for the first phase of development, along with US$17.5 million (A$27 million) worth of its own shares.
The partners are planning a first-phase development covering a substantial 1143 hectares, designed to process 7.5 million tonnes of ore annually. The operation is forecast to deliver about 7000t of rare earth concentrate and 250,000t of heavy mineral concentrate each year.
A potential second phase could extend the mine's life beyond 58 years and significantly increase production capacity.
'We are pleased to receive the Victorian Government's approval for our work plan. It is the result of years of planning, environmental assessment and community engagement.'
Donald Mineral Sands managing director Tiger Brown
The end product is expected to contain a rich mix of strategic minerals, such as zirconium, titanium, neodymium and praseodymium, which are vital for everything from smartphone screens to electric vehicles and defence technologies.
A recent grade control drilling campaign has defined the first two years of mining and revealed zones with up to 40 per cent heavy mineral content.
Plant engineering is advancing, with a modularisation study by Sedgman and Mineral Technologies indicating lower build costs and faster timelines.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AU Financial Review
an hour ago
- AU Financial Review
APA Group forecasts stronger growth after profit climbs 6.4pc
Australia's biggest gas pipeline operator APA Group is forecasting stronger growth in core earnings this year thanks to profits from new assets and ramped-up efforts to cut costs. The distribution to shareholders should also climb another 1¢ per security in fiscal 2026 to 58¢ per security, the Sydney-based company said in guidance that met market expectations.
9 News
3 hours ago
- 9 News
Deodorant, butter knives hit as Trump expands steel tariff
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Hundreds of different goods just got a lot more expensive to import into the US, now that President Donald Trump's 50 per cent tariff on steel and aluminium has kicked in. Butter knives, baby strollers, spray deodorants and fire extinguishers, considered "derivative" steel and aluminium products, were previously excluded from the 50 per cent tariff, though they were still subject to the higher country-specific tariffs Trump enacted over the last several months. However, on Friday, US Customs and Border Protection and a division of the US Commerce Department published notices informing US importers that 407 categories of goods containing steel and aluminium would immediately be subject to the 50 per cent tariffs at 12.01am ET on Monday (2.01pm Tuesday AEST). Spray deodorant is among an extensive list of goods now subject to 50 per cent steel and aluminium tariffs in the US. (diego_cervo/iStockphoto/Getty Images via CNN) The non-steel and non-aluminium components of the products face other applicable levies. The abrupt move leaves many US-based importers between a rock and a hard place, with goods they already paid for currently in transit. If they decide to accept the goods, the importers will have to pay considerably higher tariffs. But if they, for instance, tell cargo operators not to unload their orders at US ports to avoid paying tariffs, they'll likely lose money. "Today's action expands the reach of the steel and aluminium tariffs and shuts down avenues for circumvention – supporting the continued revitalisation of the American steel and aluminum industries," Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Jeffrey Kessler said in a statement. As is the case with any tariff in place, businesses may not pass on the entire tariff expense they've paid to consumers by raising prices. But the chances of businesses absorbing a tariff as high as 50 per cent will likely be slimmer compared to goods tariffed at lower rates. In addition to the 50 per cent tariff on copper-based goods that recently took effect, the levies "will likely ripple through the manufacturing supply chain, raising production costs across construction, automotive, and electronics sectors," analysts at the Telsey Group said in a note on Tuesday. tariffs Donald Trump Economics USA World CONTACT US
ABC News
4 hours ago
- ABC News
Australian companies in US–China tariffs limbo accuse Austrade of abandoning small business
It has been a busy and frustrating week in the shipping warehouse at Apéro. The Brisbane-based maternity label is packaging up its last parcels to the United States after making the call to halt orders to this lucrative market. "It's tough to make a decision," co-founder Laz Smith says. Apéro has made this decision in response to US President Donald Trump's sweeping changes to taxes on imported goods into the States. It's not the only online fashion retailer in this position. Data given to ABC News shows shipping from Australia to the US is dropping, as business "uncertainty" about Trump's tariffs continues. Apéro's woes began on "liberation day" in April, when Trump announced global tariffs, with help from a gigantic placard. Tariffs are a tax on goods as they enter a nation's borders. Officially, Australia is getting a "baseline" rate of just 10 per cent. Yet Australian companies like Apéro, which manufacture in China, are actually getting the far higher tariffs being lobbed on the Asian superpower. China's tariffs have wildly fluctuated since April, with a semi-truce between the two superpowers in May now settling them at just over 40 per cent. "It's basically a quasi-global trade war," Smith says. "And we just don't know what the playing field is, and the players can change their mind at any time." US and China are reportedly bargaining for a firm deal, but deadlines on this keep being delayed. The next is in November. "What's tricky is they are now negotiating over pretty substantial trade disagreements," Oxford Economics head of global trade, Harry Murphy Cruise, says. "I really feel for (Australian businesses caught up in this) simply because they don't have any certainty whatsoever. "They don't know what's going to happen in November. They may not know what's going to happen next week. Although, they do. Next week, another Trump curveball is coming their way. Until now, packages worth less than US$800 ($1,200) were exempt from import taxes when they arrived in the US. But on August 30, this "de minimis" tax exemption, once used by Temu and Shein, is being closed off for all countries, including Australia. Felicity Dean, who is a trade expert at The University of Queensland, believes this could result in fees of US$80 on Australian orders into the US. Others have been interpreting the new looming rules more optimistically, as just applying Australia's "baseline" 10 per cent tariff to orders. Apéro's Smith says it has been struggling to get firm guidance ahead of August 30, including from Australia Post. "I think they're still struggling to catch up to what's going on," he says. Australia Post didn't answer specific questions from ABC News. "Australia Post is investigating paying duties and taxes through an approved third-party platform provider on behalf of our merchants," it wrote on Monday. ABC News also understands Australia Post is halting "transit" shipping as it deals with this evolving situation. As retailers like Apéro grapple with uncertainty, data given to ABC News by a tech company that facilitates online orders is showing the real-world impact. "There's been a 36 per cent drop in volume since April in terms of outbound shipments from Australia to the US," Shippit's chief executive, Rob Hango-Zada, says. "All the tariff changes, and more specifically the de minimis change, has actually meant that retailers have had to pull back from the US market. Some Australian retailers in Shippit's network have been relocating their shipping logistics to American shores, Hango-Zada says. This means importing goods in bulk into the US, which means the products receive tariffs on their lower wholesale value. "We've had a couple of fashion retailers in particular that have completely pivoted their operations," Hango-Zada says. Nashie is one apparel brand that is already doing this local distribution model in the US. Its founder, Tom Wilson, says it has helped insulate them somewhat. Yet it also means Nashie has to directly pay its own tariff bills. Its garments are made in China, and Nashie is being impacted by the 40.6 per cent tariff on that nation. Its last tariff bill this month was six figures. "I was very salty sitting in the Commonwealth Bank paying that as an international transaction," Wilson says. Nashie has been raising prices for American shoppers to deal with this whirlwind, but doesn't want to have to keep doing this. Wilson wants far more support for Australia's fashion industry. Apero's Smith agrees and is calling on Australia's trade department to do more as the uncertainty drags on. "We've never heard from AusTrade, and it's quite crazy," he says. "I think there's a lot of labels and brands that do a lot trade in the US, and we haven't heard a single thing from how to navigate this. It's all on our own backs." ABC News has repeatedly asked for an interview with Australia's trade minister, Don Farrell. He declined for this story, citing timing issues.
