Mining Company’s “Cynical” Move To Muzzle Community With Liaison Group

13 September 2025

A local community group has rejected a proposal by fast-track mining company Santana Minerals to form a Community Liaison Group for their Bendigo Gold mine project. Community members claim that the proposed liaison group is about control, not release, of information.

Deputy Chair of Sustainable Tarras, Rob van der Mark, said “We’d leap at the chance to have a proper and transparent flow of information with Santana, but this definitely is not it. The proposal as it is currently suggested is a cynical attempt to subjugate and muzzle the local community towards a predetermined outcome.”

Over the last few days, Santana has contacted a selection of people from the local community, inviting them to join a Community Liaison Group about the mine. But Sustainable Tarras says that there are numerous problems with the proposal, which reveals Santana’s intentions. Mr van der Mark said that the group rules are designed to “control information flows, muzzle anyone who joins the group, and shut everyone else out.” He also pointed to the very selective nature of the invitations.

Mr van der Mark says that a community liaison group of sorts will likely become a consenting requirement if the project proceeds. “In the meantime, Santana is delaying the sharing of in depth information with the community. We’ve been asking for months, with some 55 very reasonable questions that remain unanswered. For example, will our aquifers and water quality be affected? Will arsenic dust become a problem when we have our regular 100km/hr spring winds? Reports are being shared with our local councils under Non Disclosure Agreements, but the community remains largely in the dark. And so on.”

He added: "Several key parties have not been invited, the outcome appears predetermined, and the process and subsequent communications are entirely controlled by the company. That’s no way to ‘liaise’ transparently with the community.”

"If Santana is serious about initiating a representative Community Liaison Group, we'd suggest they first acknowledge and answer our many outstanding questions and build some trust. So far, they have been paying us lip service with superficial and selective engagement, and then telling the media, shareholders and authorities that they have great community engagement. That doesn't come anywhere near what any reasonable person would consider to be adequate engagement or consultation with the affected community for a project this size and this imminent.”

Sustainable Tarras has today written to Santana saying that it will not take part, and is encouraging others to carefully consider their position.

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