FALCON Metals has been sent back to the drawing board with its plans to continue assessing mineral sands deposits at Mysia.
Landowners have delivered the company a second rebuff in 12 months after they refused to meet with the Victorian Mining Warden to discuss land access.
They had earlier refused to enter into talks with Falcon.
The company’s managing director Tim Markwell said last week: “Falcon lodged a submission to the Office of the Mining Warden in Victoria, who has specialist expertise in land access matters such as this, to enable discussions to occur through a facilitated process, and to increase the likelihood of arriving at an appropriate outcome for the Company and the landowners.
“The Mining Warden has informed Falcon that the landowners at Farrelly Mineral Sands Project are currently unwilling to participate in a mediation process. 
“Falcon is reviewing its options with regards to land access.”
Falcon Metals is offering Mysia landowners an estimated $1500 compensation for exploratory mineral sands drilling. The 1700-hectare proposed drilling site covers part of the water catchment for Woolshed Swamp and the Western Waranga Channel.
Falcon has offered landowners a $500 one-off sign-on fee for land access, $25 for each aircore hole completed on their property and $25 each time the company is on the land. An estimated 150 drill holes have been proposed.
In June, Mr Markwell said: “Falcon does not currently have access agreements at the Farrelly prospect. 
“However, Falcon Metals has approximately 67 land access agreements in place across Victoria.”
Falcon has said that while it is “still early days for the high-grade Farrelly discovery ... it is highly encouraging to see the sighter test confirming the deposit is amenable to conventional processing methods without any notable issues. With no major material processing issues identified in the scope of the test work to date, Falcon’s focus will return to continuing exploration to determine just how large this deposit is.”