Have your say on Limestone Coast mining and energy projects

In the first social survey of its kind, the Department of Energy and Mining- which regulates mining activities in SA - is looking for responses on the state's government's Your Say portal.

There is currently a 10-year moratorium on fracking for gas in the region after concerned communities united showing Beach Energy did not have a social licence to operate.

But since then several new mining companies have come looking for rare earths, mineral sands and even geothermal energy. There are currently 15 exploration licences across a large chunk of the Limestone Coast.

Department of Energy and Mining executive director regulation and compliance Ben Zammit said mining and energy projects were not as common in the Limestone Coast as some other parts of the state but that was changing as exploration companies became aware of the opportunities in the region.

"The DEM is aware that agriculture and tourism are essential to the region's social and economic fabric, so we're keen to understand the community's views on how a growing mining exploration sector might interact with those existing industries, and to gauge general community sentiments about mining and energy projects," he said.

Mr Zammit said the study was separate to community engagement required by individual mining companies under legislation and regulation.

"We hope that gathering a broader understanding of community experiences will better position the Department to provide the community with timely information, advice and other support while we apply our usual rigorous regulatory practices through the exploration process," he said.

"If community members have concerns, it is important that we hear about them.

"We want to understand who is concerned about what, and why, in the hope we can address those concerns in a timely way."

Member for MacKillop Nick McBride says it is important any project delivers a "win-win" outcome both for the whole state's royalties and mining companies extracting minerals but also impacted landholders receiving payments compensating them for any lost production while mining occurs and having the land rehabilitated.

"In the exploration area there are many areas of intensive ag production,including 10, 20 or 30-year-old vineyards, which may need to be protected, as well as infrastructure such as sheds and houses and, from an environmental perspective, 200-year-old red gums and valuable wetlands should see the Landscapes Board part of any decision making process," he said.

"There needs to be strong engagement by mining companies to get buy-in from landholders and it all needs to be done with the best outcome in mind.

"Some will not be able to see any benefits but my understanding with rare earths is there could be those with sandy properties who can potentially improve their soils, having clay mixed in and see higher yields."

Mr McBride said he would continue to engage with the community to ensure any concerns around mining in the region were heard by the state government.

Wrattonbully Wine Region Association president Will Malone is speaking up so that others in the region know about future mining projects proposed for the Limestone Coast, including rare earths exploration licences stretching from Keith to Naracoorte to Nangwarry.

"At the moment there has not been any rare earth mining in the Limestone Coast so it is pretty hard for people to envisage what that might look like," he said.

"Our region has excellent soils, a precious underground water resource and some of our state's most important environmental assets that need to be protected."

Mr Malone was invited by mining company, Australian Rare Earths, to be a member of the Koppamurra Landholder Reference Group about two years ago and says ARE's consultation has raised more questions than answers.

The engagement by the mining company has only targeted a small part of the community so awareness is low, despite its proposed plan to apply for a mining lease at Koppamurra in 2025-26.

"There are so many questions that are still unanswered regarding how this will work in the Limestone Coast, how the groundwater resources will be protected and how the mined land will be rehabilitated without significant impacts on productivity and long-term viability," he said.

"I think the community would be shocked to know the style of mining that is being proposed.

"The mining process requires the excavation of all the soil to access the clay layer that sits above the limestone.

"The clay would then be excavated, piled up and treated using a heap leaching process, which uses acid leaching agents to extract the rare earths."

Mr Malone - who is also a sheep producer in Australian Rare Earths exploration area - urges the whole community to have their say before the survey closes on Monday.

"I am not anti-mining and understand we need these products but am opposed to this type of mining in an area that has some of the most productive agricultural and forested land in the state," he said.

Australian Rare Earths was contacted by Stock Journal about its plans for the region and community consultation but did not respond prior to deadline.

On its website it states its "focus is to find ways to investigate and extract these minerals in a safe and responsible manner, with a focus on protecting the communities in which we operate".