Our engagement approach is based on:
Aureka is committed to building trusted and transparent relationships with people and organisations who are, or may be, affected by our exploration activity.
We take the time to understand the needs and expectations of our stakeholders across residents, community groups, government agencies and Traditional Owners and work with them at every stage of our project.
Our commitment to thorough and respectful engagement is shared throughout Aureka’s small Victorian-based team to ensure we work effectively and responsibly with our communities.
No, exploration is not mining and does not guarantee that mining will occur.
It is estimated that for every 300-1000 exploration projects, only one mine is developed (source: Economic Development and Infrastructure Committee, Inquiry into greenfields minerals exploration and project development in Victoria – Final report, Parliament of Victoria, Melbourne, 2012, p. 10).
If minerals are found there is a separate, comprehensive environmental and social approval process involving stakeholder input for any proposed mining activity. Whilst it’s difficult to determine how long this process will take due to the extensive range of studies and assessments that must be undertaken and legislation that must be adhered to, the estimated timeline is 10-15 years.
Exploration is allowed under an exploration license granted by the Victorian Government and occurs on public lands such as Crown land, forests and private land. It is generally short term and has a low level of impact.
Exploration licences have strict conditions and requirements that align with legislative requirements of the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990 and at least 16 pieces of legislation that cover environmental and heritage issues and Indigenous rights.
Exploration is a scientific process that is initially conducted over large areas of land and becomes more focused where potential mineral resources are identified. Each stage of exploration is dependent on the results of the previous stage.
Depending on the scale and location of exploration activities, some activities can be undertaken under the Code of Practice for Low Impact Exploration whist others may require an exploration work plan to be approved by the Earth Resources Regulator. A work plan is a document that outlines what activities are allowed as part of an exploration license and how any environmental impacts will be managed.
Aureka’s exploration techniques may include:
We welcome taking residents or interested community groups onsite to see our exploration activities firsthand. If you’d like to arrange a site visit, please contact us on 1800 167 503 or email [email protected]
Aureka works with landholders before starting a drilling program to negotiate access to private property. We cannot access private property without an agreement in place.
Earth Resources Regulation, the Victorian Government regulator that governs our exploration program, will only grant permission to start work on private land once landholder consent has been received. Aureka works with the relevant government land manager to obtain permission to work on any Crown land.
Whilst we do not expect our exploration activities to excessively increase traffic movements on local roads, during drilling activities we expect up to two extra vehicles per day to access the drill sites.
We proactively restrict vehicle speed limits to reduce dust on roads.
Aureka proactively applies controls to manage noise from our drill rigs including (but not limited to):
Aureka encourages residents that may feel impacted by our activities to contact us directly on 1800 167 503 or email [email protected]
Aureka recognises the need for and importance of working collaboratively with Traditional Owners on projects that affect Country.
Aureka will proactively and transparently engage with Traditional Owners at the earliest possible stage of our exploration program and looks forward to identifying the ways we can work together.
Water will be used during drilling which will be supplied to the site by a local water cartage company. All water used is potable in nature and no water is taken from landowner’s dams or from creeks or rivers.
Aureka uses biodegradable drilling muds and potable water or fresh water in our drilling. Once a hole has been completed the rehabilitation of the hole takes places in accordance with regulatory guidelines.
Aureka fully rehabilitates any impact to the environment caused by our mineral exploration activities.
Prior to drilling of an exploration site, a photographic record is taken. The following rehabilitation activities are undertaken after the completion of drilling:
Aureka has an active fire preparedness and response plan and works with our local CFA brigades when planning exploration programs. Over the summer period Aureka’s fire preparedness plans include:
Aureka is aware that some of the agricultural land we work on operates with biosecurity controls in place. We always strictly adhere to landholders’ requirements and incorporate access conditions as part of any land access agreement.
We brief our contractors and ensure they and their equipment follow all processes to uphold all biosecurity measures.
We welcome hearing from our communities at any time with feedback, questions or concerns, or to visit us onsite and see our drilling activities in action. Please reach out to us on 1800 167 503 or email [email protected] at any time.
Feel free to use the form below to send us a message.
