General News
8 February, 2026
Sand mining ‘bigger threat than lake use’
PROPOSED mineral sands mining at Mysia posed a greater threat to Lake Boort than motorised boats, David Weaver told State Government officials on Monday night.
The Loddon Shire councillor and farmer questioned the impact of future mining when speaking at the Boort Tourism and Development Committee meeting with Department of Premier and Cabinet representatives.
Cr Weaver said that when in flood, the Woolshed Flat wetlands flowed into Lake Boort.
“The two floods overflowed into the lake,” he said.
Cr Weaver said that after mining sludge had dried, particles would become airborne.
“If no motors (are allowed), it would be hypocritical to allow mineral sands mining,” he said.
The department’s Harry Webber said there had been talks and any environmental effects statement process would have to consider Aboriginal heritage. Falcon Metals is in a standoff with Mysia landowners on its plans to explore the area.
Cr Weaver also took aim at the department’s impact document, saying some of the photographs used were misleading and was designed to make farmers look bad.
“I don’t think that,” said Mr Webber.
Cr Weaver said any efforts to save scar trees on Lake Boort were 150 years too late.
“The environmental water is disintegrating the scar trees,” he said.
Two environmental flows had been put into Lake Boort in the last four years.
North Central Catchment Management Authority program delivery executive manager Rachel Murphy told the Loddon Herald this week:
“About 770ML of water for the environment was delivered in May 2022 over less than two weeks to prime the wetland. It shallowly inundated about 30 per cent of the wetland to a depth of about 10cm.”
“A follow-up partial fill began in August 2022, with about 1.8GL flowing into the wetland, inundating most of the wetland, with water shallowly reaching the edge of the lake. We stopped that flow in late September.