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EDS says fast-track gold mine poses unacceptable environmental risks

15 April 2026

The Environmental Defence Society (EDS) has filed detailed legal submissions and expert evidence opposing the proposed Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project, warning that the mine presents significant environmental risks, major uncertainties, and overstated economic benefits.

EDS’s independent assessment of the Project concludes that the expert Panel should decline the Project under the Fast-track Approvals Act, because its adverse effects are “out of proportion” to any claimed national or regional benefit.

“While the fast-track regime is designed to facilitate development, it does not justify approving projects with high environmental risk and insufficient information,” said EDS CEO Gary Taylor.

“EDS’s case is supported by independent experts across ecology, hydrology, geochemistry, landscape and economics. Together, they identify serious shortcomings in the Applicant’s case, despite the volume of application materials. These include:

  • The permanent loss of irreplaceable and vulnerable nationally and regionally significant ecosystems and species (including possible species extinctions);
  • The permanent loss of nationally significant inland wetlands;
  • The loss of outstanding natural landscape values; and
  • Long-term contamination of surface and groundwater receiving environments

“Essentially, the Applicant has overstated the economic benefits of the Project and understated the adverse impacts and risks.

“The Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project has attracted a lot of attention from politicians, the media and others, but the Project is now before an independent expert Panel who must decide whether to grant or decline based on the evidence and legal arguments before it. Outside noise has no role in that process.

“There is no presumption of approval under the fast-track law and we think that the only conclusion reasonably available on the evidence is to decline the Project,” concluded Mr Taylor.

EDS’s comments (including evidence) are available on the EPA’s portal.

EDS gives grateful thanks to Rob Enright and Jen Vella for their expert legal assistance in preparing EDS’s comments.