Work of application submitted for Victoria’s newest rare earth project

Astron Corporation (ASX:ATR) has submitted a work of application regarding the construction and operation of the Donald rare earth and mineral sands project.

The application was submitted to the Earth Resources Regulator (ERR) within the Victorian Government Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA).

The work plan is the main regulatory approval outstanding prior to construction of phase one of the Donald project. The submission of the plan represents the achievement of a major milestone towards development of the project.

Donald already has a positively assessed Victorian Environmental Effects Statement (EES), a concluded federal Environment, Biodiversity Protection and Conservation (EPBC) approval and a granted mining licence covering phase one of the project.

The work plan describes the nature and scale of the proposed mining activities, identifies and assesses the risks which the work may pose to the environment and public and details the nature of community engagement.

It also includes a risk management plan for the purpose of eliminating or minimising identified risks and monitoring performance.

Review of the work plan will take between six to nine months and Astron will continue to engage with relevant Victorian government departments during this process. If the review is achieved, Astron will become the first critical minerals company to begin construction in Victoria.

In accordance with the work plan review, it’s expected that the final investment decision will be made in mid-2024. During this time, Astron expects to finalise off-take agreements and complete preparations for the start of construction.

Astron is engaging with multiple potential off-take partners for both its rare earth element concentrate and heavy mineral concentrate products.

The tendering process for an engineering, procurement and construction manager has begun and the company is progressing key off-site infrastructure negotiations for an overhead powerline, workforce accommodation and upgrades to the road and water supply.