Hastings Technology Metals has received approval from the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation as well as the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety for its Yangibana rare earths project in Western Australia, allowing crews there to continue site work.

The company said the approval from DWER is for the flora and vegetation environmental management plan, and the regulatory greenlight is for its revised mining proposal. The former was a condition of the project’s initial approval in 2019; Ministerial Statement 1110, received in August of that year outlined that the plan was to be prepared o the satisfaction of the state’s Environmental Protection Authority chief executive.

“The flora and vegetation environmental management plan sets out the environmental objectives to be achieved and specifies management actions that will be implemented to achieve compliance,” Hastings officials said. 

“Hastings has prepared management targets and monitoring programs to measure the effectiveness of the management actions. The management plan has been informed by best practice and recent experience on similar mining projects in Western Australia.”

Yangibana’s mining proposal details the proposed activities on site and environmental management measures to ensure Hastings meets its tenement obligations under the Mining Act. 

Hastings’ flagship Yangibana project is located in the Gascoyne region. Construction at the project is scheduled to start in mid-2022 ahead of a 24-month construction period. 

Hastings also owns and operates the Brockman project, Australia’s largest heavy rare earths deposit, near Halls Creek, Kimberley. 

Source: Hastings Technology Metals